Salvation
by Warriorcat890
Summary: Bella goes to Volterra to save Edward, but while she's there, she meets Caius. Marcus sees the bond between them and the Volturi make Bella stay with them. Slowly, Bella's relationship with the normally dark, evil Volturi leader grows and she finds herself in love with him, but the Cullens don't like it. Rated M for language and lemons in future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Introductions

_Salvation - Chapter 1_

_'The first part of this chapter is based of a part of Stephenie Meyer's book _New Moon._ They are very similar because I went off of what happened in the book. Later on, it changes and becomes my own work. This is a Bella and Caius pairing. Not exactly the most... normal fanfiction you'll find, but it's still similar. I do not own Twilight in any way, and I am not claiming the quotes from the book to be my own in any way. This is purely fan-made. _

_The story will be rated M for sexual content and swearing in future chapters. Just a warning._

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**1. Introductions**

We passed the human secretary Jane called Gianna, and continued through two large wooden doors. There before us, stood a small boy, about Jane's height in a pearl gray suit. He looked like a male version of Jane, and then I realized that they were twins. However, his hair was much darker than his sister's, and his lips were not as full, but he was still as beautiful as all vampires were. When he saw us approach, he immediately reached for the little blond girl, a wide smile spreading across his face. "Jane," he nearly purred.

"Alec," she responded, embracing him. They kissed each other's cheeks on both sides like they do in France, and then looked at us.

Alec looked us over and seemed to be impressed. "Well done, sister," he praised. "They send you out for one and you come back with two… and a half." His gazed was fixed on me when he finished that sentence. "Good work."

Jane laughed lightly, but there was an almost evil, twisted glint in her eye.

"Welcome back, Edward," Alec addressed the man I stood next to. Like his sister, there was a sick look in his eye; almost a teasing one. "You seem in a better mood."

"Marginally," Edward answered. His voice was flat and dull. I couldn't help but glance up at his hard face and wonder how his mood could have been darker. It had been nearly seven months since he had left me, and I had been a wreck ever since. My best friend, and werewolf, Jacob Black helped me through this… separation. He stitched up the wounds that Edward had inflicted, but now, Edward was back. What would happen now? Would Jacob hate me for going back to Edward? I didn't even know why I was thinking of a future that might not even happen—I had no idea if we would even leave Volterra alive. For all I knew, the Volturi could be like some vampire mafia and send me back to my family piece by piece in the mail.

Alec chuckled and examined me as I clung to my former boyfriend's arm. "And this is the cause of all the trouble?" he snickered. I knew that I looked absolutely hideous in comparison to all the beautiful vampires around me, but there wasn't really much I could do about that.

Edward just smiled, but it was weak. A strange look flashed in his eyes that I couldn't recognize. Remorse? Humor? Suddenly, he froze. His entire body went rigid and he turned to Felix, his eyes blazing in anger.

"Dibs," Felix said casually.

Edward snarled and took a step toward him. His lips curled back in a snarl as if he were a lion growling at a rival. Felix just smiled at him and motioned for him to come toward him, goading him on.

Alice grabbed her brother's arm, her face full of fear. "Patience," she more pleaded than stated.

The two looked at each other for a long moment. I wished that I had Edward's power just so I could hear what she was telling him. Whatever it was, it worked. Edward turned away and sighed in resignation. He snatched my hand roughly and pulled me to him.

"Aro will be pleased to see you again," Alec remarked as if nothing had happened.

"Yes. Let's not keep him waiting," Jane suggested. She exchanged a knowing glance with her brother before walking down another wide, ornate hallway. The two twins led the way, holding hands as they did so. At the end of the hall were too large door seemingly covered in gold, but the twins ignored them and stopped halfway down the hall. Alec slid a piece of paneling out of the way to expose a plain old wooden door. Alec then held that open for Jane as she stepped in.

I nearly groaned as Edward pulled me through the threshold. There were large stones surrounding us just as there had been in the square, the alley, and the sewers. Again it was dark and cold, but this stone antechamber wasn't large. It soon opened into a brighter, cavernous room. The room was perfectly round. From the air, it probably would have looked like a perfect circle. About two stories up, windows followed the circular pattern, allowing sunlight to slant through. There were no artificial lights, and no other furniture besides three massive throne chairs that sat on the opposite side of the room.

Most of the vampires around us wore casual clothes, but the three men that occupied the throne chairs wore long, black robes. The one on the far left seemed unimpressed by the whole situation. He had long brown hair that when just below his shoulder and an almost rectangular face. He gazed at Edward and me with a blasé expression, and then glanced away. The man in the middle was more attractive with shoulder-length raven hair that framed his face. He rose from his chair and immediately began to approach us. At this, some of the vampires surrounding us rushed to his side as if they were bodyguards. And finally, on the far right was probably the most gorgeous man I had ever seen.

He had very light blond, almost white hair that just barely touched his shoulders. His face was youthful, but was twisted with a look of hatred. He practically glared at us as he watched. The way his eyes ran over us almost hurt my feelings. If looks could kill, we all would be dead. Like all of the vampires in the room apart from Alice and Edward, he had blood-red eyes. Like the other two leaders, his skin was very pale, almost translucent. I wondered if it would be rough and chalky, or smooth like Edward's.

"Well, well!" the black-haired man exclaimed as he got closer. "Bella is alive after all. Isn't that wonderful?" He grasped Edward's hand, nearly prying it from my own. I desperately wanted to glare at him for taking Edward's hand away, but I knew better.

"Aro can read every thought I've ever had with one touch," Edward explained, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. "And now you know everything. So get on with it."

Aro looked at Edward for a brief moment before looking at me. "I think that you would make for a very… intriguing immortal, Isabella," he purred, stepping closer to me. "I wonder what gifts you will have…"

Edward growled as Aro stepped closer, but made no move. "So… what do we do with you now?" he asked, mostly to himself.

"You already know what you are going to do, Aro," the brown-haired man on the left muttered. His voice sounded hoarse as if he hadn't been used in many years. The man looked at the blond who sat across from him. "Don't you think, Caius?"

_Caius._ From that moment forward, his name was burned into my brain. Caius stared at me for the longest moment, our eyes locked. His red eyes bore into mine, searching for something. They no longer held that hateful expression—his face was still stern, but it was… softer… gentler. "She… She knows too much. She is a liability," he finally murmured. His voice sounded strained as if it were paining him to say those words.

"Mmm," Aro agreed. "Felix."

I spun around as the large, muscular vampire stalked toward me. Edward immediately moved to protect me, but a voice from the other side of the room stopped them. "Stop!"

Everyone turned to face the brown-haired man. He stood suddenly and darted to Aro's side. Without warning, he grasped the other leader's hand and they stared at each other for a moment. Aro sighed and pulled his hand away, looking at me curiously. "It appears that Bella will be… staying here with us."

"NO!" Edward snarled and lunged, not at Marcus or Aro, but at Caius who sat motionless on his throne. Felix and Demetri rushed forward and restrained him, pulling him backward. "NO! YOU—" he proceeded to swear at Caius in another language, most likely Italian.

"Alice, Edward," Aro said, addressing them calmly as if nothing had happened. "You are dismissed. Bella will be staying here with us."

"What?" Alice gasped. She looked at me, her eyes wide with worry. Suddenly, they clouded over as she had a vision. Her eyes moved around the room, but they weren't seeing. She finally looked up at me, her eyes wide with worry. "Oh no…" she breathed.

Another vampire grabbed Alice by her upper arm and pulled her out of the hall while Felix and Demetri drug Edward behind them. "I will find you Bella! I'll get you back!" Edward vowed, staring at me with terrified topaz eyes. "I love you!"

As Edward disappeared down the hallway with Alice and the accompanying Volturi members, the reality of my situation began to set in. I was alone in a room full of vampires, and these vampires were not like the Cullens. These vampires killed humans. They drank human blood. They could kill me at any moment. Everything that Edward had told me about the Volturi declared that I should be dead. At that moment, I wanted to be dead. But yet, I wasn't. I wasn't dead. I was alive in a room with all the members of the Volturi.

"Isabella," Aro's voice came from behind me.

I turned to face him slowly. His face was full of concern and something else… fear? Something was making horrible sounds. It sounded like someone was dying and sobbing at the same time. It was then I realized that it was _me_. _I_ was making those horrible noises. Now I understood Aro's worry. "I… I'm sorry…" I whimpered, collapsing to my knees. I didn't know why I was crying—maybe it was because Edward was gone; I had lost him again. Or maybe it was because I was just plain terrified.

"Jane, dear," Aro said, kneeling down beside me.

The small, blond girl came over to us, smiling crookedly. "Yes, master?" she inquired. Her voice was more high-pitched than it was the last time I had heard it. She seemed almost proud that Aro had called her over to him. As she gazed down at me, amusement was written all across her face.

"Take Isabella up to the guest quarters," Aro instructed. He helped me to my feet and then handed me over to Jane.

The girl sniffed at me with a disgusted face before leading me toward the three large throne chairs. I followed her, almost having to jog to keep up with her. When we reached the chairs, we walked up a few steps and weaved in between Aro's and Caius's chairs. As we passed the blond vampire, his blood red eyes were on me; watching my every move. We left the throne room, and I could still feel Caius's eyes burning into my back.

* * *

Jane took me up to a secluded part of the castle where I apparently had the whole wing to myself. She told me that one of the masters would be along later to check up on me. Secretly, I hoped that it would be Caius. I didn't quite understand my attraction to him—it was so strange and completely unprovoked. What could draw me to him?

I wondered this as I sat on the large, ornate bed in my room. For a castle that had been inhabited by vampires for who knows how long, they understood what a human could need. There was a bathroom connected to the room along with a dresser with more than enough clothes. There were even toilet articles and other bathroom items in the draws by the sink in the bathroom. I was impressed, and wondered briefly if they had been expecting me. A large, impressive bookshelf made up one wall of the room, and held many of my favorite books. All of the classics were there and even some newer, modern books.

It was around seven o'clock in the evening when a knock sounded on my door. Jet lag had been catching up to me, and I was snuggled into bed reading _Wuthering Heights_ for the hundredth time. "C-come in," I called, unable to keep the fear out of my voice. Internally, I scolded myself; if these vampires wanted to kill me, they would have done so already. Still, the thought of dying and leaving Charlie, Jacob and the Cullens nearly brought me to tears. Just thinking of Alice, Edward, Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, and even Rosalie was nearly too much. I missed them all so dearly…

The door opened slowly with a loud, eerie creak. To my surprise, Caius stood in my doorway, smiling crookedly. "I had a feeling you would like my room," he murmured almost thoughtfully.

I pulled the blankets further up, in a feeble attempt to cover myself. I was only in some boy shorts that I had found in the dresser and my white tank top that didn't exactly cover me very well. "This… this is your room?" I inquired softly. My voice sounded weak and pathetic. It sounded… human. "I didn't know. I thought that Jane was just bringing me to the guest wing."

Caius shrugged and stepped inside, closing the door behind him. My heartbeat sped up dramatically. He looked at me and arched one questioning eyebrow before shrugging it off. I couldn't believe that I was actually alone with this beautiful creature. I mean, sure, I had been alone in my room with Edward many times, but being with Caius was different. I don't know how to describe it. It felt like something was… right, but at the same time wrong. There was a soothing, almost affectionate air about him, but at the same time, it was dark and mysterious. I couldn't wrap my head around it.

"Well, each of the leaders have their own wings. Aro has his own, Marcus has his, and I have mine, which you're currently in," he replied politely, that devilish smirk still painted across his face.

I looked down, feeling foolish. "I… I'm sorry. Would you like me to leave?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Caius shook his head. "No. I don't mind," he answered quickly. He took a few steps toward the bed before motioning, his face questioning. It took me a few moments to realize that he was asking for permission to sit. I nodded warily, prepared to jump up at any moment. He smiled warmly and sat on the edge, facing me.

"So… what do you need?" I asked after a few moments. I loved having him in my room, and I really didn't want him to leave, but I felt like I had to say something.

He shrugged. "I just wanted to check on you—make sure you were okay. Aro told me what Edward put you through," he murmured. "I'm sorry you had to go through that, Isabella."

If it had been anyone else, I would have corrected them, but I loved the way he said my full name. It sounded so elegant when he said it with his deep, husky voice. Close up, he was even more beautiful. His pale skin shone almost golden under the lights of the oil lamps on either side of the room. His hair was still a darker shade than his skin, but it looked clean, and soft like Carlisle's did, but longer and darker like Rosalie's. His face looked more like Emmett's than Edward's, especially when he wore that playful smirk, but his eyes were soft and gentle like Esme's, but at the same time troubled like Jasper's. He reminded me of my family, but at the same time was completely different. I didn't know how to explain it.

"Thank you," I whispered, forcing myself to look at his perfect face. "But it's… it's over now."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. He will never hurt you again, Isabella. I promise."

For a moment, we locked eyes like we had in the throne room. His red eyes stared into my own, with that same, searching look. His eyes seemed almost desperate to find something—what I don't know, but something. I couldn't even imagine what I looked like. "Thank you, Caius."

His lips curled upward back into that smirk I had already fallen in love with. "You're quite welcome, Isabella."

I smiled back at him but looked down. "Actually, it's Bella, but you can call me Isabella, if you want. I don't mind. You say it good… I mean…" I trailed off, unable to keep myself from blushing bright red in embarrassment.

He laughed. "So… what city are you from? Are the Cullens still in Forks?" he asked conversationally.

I nodded, still red as a tomato. "Yes… I was born there, but my parents got divorced and I moved to Phoenix with mom. I moved back last year because my mom got remarried to a baseball player, and they were really happy, and he's a great guy, don't get me wrong, but they had to move a lot. I had to go to school and he had to travel. My mom stayed back with me a few times, but it made her unhappy to be away from him, so I went to live at my dad's. I went to Forks High School and met the Cullens."

"Do you like to read?" he inquired, his gazed flicking toward the book in my lap.

I smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah."

He smiled. "I do too. What's your favorite book?"

I giggled a little, earning a strange look from him. "What? Is this an interrogation?" I asked, smiling widely at him.

He smiled back at me. "Call it an introduction. Now, answer the question."

"_Wuthering Heights,_" I finally said. "But why are you even interested?"

Caius shrugged. "I don't know—just curious I suppose. I want to know as much as I can about you."

"Why?"

Once again, he shrugged.

"Well, can I ask some questions now?" I inquired, giving him a hard stare. "I want to know about you too."

He smirked. "You aren't ready to know me."

"Oh? And why not?" I asked, gazing at him intently.

His smirk just got wider as he stood up. "Because you aren't." And with that, he walked slowly toward the door, glancing over his shoulder once or twice. "Enjoy the rest of your evening, Isabella," he murmured before closing the door behind him.

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_Thanks so much for reading! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought! :)_


	2. Chapter 2: Discipline

_Salvation - Chapter 2_

_WARNING: THIS CHAPTER IS ONE REASON WHY THIS FANFICTION IS RATED M. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEVERE SEXUAL CONTENT AND BDSM. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED._

_Now that that's out of the way, I do not own any characters or locations-they belong to Stephenie Meyer, yada yada yada you know the drill. This is my first attempt at BDSM, and I hope you like it. I've read a lot of fics with this in it, and I know that Caius fans love the soft and gentle side of him as much as the next girl, but cherish his evilness and dominating personality as well, so this is for them. :)_

_Thanks to all reviewers! Love you dearly!_

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**2. Discipline**

The next day I spent most of my time in my room, never opening the door unless it was one of the Volturi guards bringing me a plate of food. Each time I did, they treated me kindly and never made any snide comments about the fact that I was human and they could kill me at any moment. That evening, again around seven o'clock, Caius showed up at my door, wearing that sexy smirk and asking me sometimes very random questions. I thought continuously about what all this meant, but still had a difficult time understanding it.

After a week of staying in my room reading, I decided that I had to do something. I had read nearly all of the books on the shelf that weren't nonfiction, and I at least needed new reading material. I also wanted to know what they were planning on doing with me, and why I was here in the first place. If I was going to be changed, wouldn't they have done so already? Why was I still human? What could they benefit from by keeping me this way?

A part of me was tempted to wait for Caius to come in the evening as he always did and ask him these questions, but it wasn't that easy. I had asked him about these things before, but he was always very evasive and it was beginning to annoy the hell out of me. I needed to find someone else to seek answers from—someone I knew. Aro was a tempting thought, but I had no idea how he would react to my forwardness. I was afraid that he would be just like Caius and avoid the actual question.

I was getting prepared to leave to find someone to ask when a knock sounded on the door. I couldn't help but sigh exaggeratedly before running a hand through my hair, focusing on my reflection in the bathroom mirror. "Hang on a moment!" I called while finishing buttoning up my shirt.

When I exited the bathroom, I nearly had a heart attack. Caius stood there, smirking at me as usual. "It is not wise to keep a master waiting, Isabella," he said. It sounded like he purred my name at the end.

I stared at him for a moment, not wanting to think about how ridiculous I looked. "I… had no idea that it was a master," I answered truthfully. "I was actually going to go… looking for you." Oh well. At least I knew him better than the others. Maybe I would finally get some answers out of him.

He arched on eyebrow. "Were you now?"

I nodded, feeling my confidence grow. "I need answers. Why am I here and what do you plan to do with me?"

He narrowed his crimson eyes before turning away. "Just as you are not yet ready to know me, you are not ready to know the answers."

"Well I think I am," I nearly growled. I stalked up to him until our chests almost brushed. "I want to know what you want to do with me!"

"Be careful what you wish for, Isabella," he murmured. A mischievous glint flashed in his eye before disappearing. "What I want to do with you may not be what we will do."

His words sent shivers up my spine. What he wanted to do? What did _that_ mean? "What is Aro planning to do?" I asked, rephrasing my words, hoping to evoke and answer from him.

He shrugged. "Aro is an enigma. No one knows what he plans to do, and when we make and educated guess on what his plans are, they are usually the complete opposite."

"So you… honestly have no idea?" I was unable to keep the disappointment from my voice. If Caius really didn't know, I would have to go to Aro.

He turned away from me and began to pace back and forth across my room. "Well… I know that you'll probably be changed soon."

"Are you going to change me?" I asked, looking at him hopefully. I wanted him to be the one to do it, that way at least I would be tied to him in some way.

Caius turned to me, smirking. "Perhaps. Is that what you want, Isabella? To be a part of my personal guard?"

"I didn't know there was a difference," I admitted, averting my gaze to the floor. I felt like a little five-year-old kid when I was with him. He was strong and dominating, but somehow, I knew that he would never hurt me.

"The ones who are changed by Aro are a part of his guard, the ones changed by Marcus are a part of his, and the same with mine. So, tell me Isabella, will you serve me?" The glint had returned to his eyes, and my heart beat accelerated dramatically. I knew that by agreeing to serve him and be a part of his guard, I would be agreeing to so much more.

I took a deep breath. "Yes, Caius. I will serve you."

His smirk increased to a full smile. "Good."

"When will you do it?" I asked. "Soon?"

He chuckled. "So eager for damnation." He turned to face me and took a few steps closer. Instinctively, I took a step back. He growled. "Stay where you are, Isabella. If you want to be a part of my guard, you must learn discipline."

I gulped. "Yes, of course. Sorry, master," I murmured, averting my gaze to the floor.

"Hmm," he hummed approvingly. "Well done, Isabella. Perhaps you will serve me yet." He strode over to me and grasped my chin in his hand. I gasped at the contact as his ice-cold fingers brushed my warm skin. "Isabella, tonight, I will pick you up here. You will follow me and not ask any questions. I am going to teach you discipline."

"Yes, master. As you wish."

He smirked. "Very well. Ready yourself, my pet. You are in for one hell of a night." With that, he left me standing alone in my room, staring after him.

* * *

That evening, I wore a long, black dress that showed a bit of chest and an outer robe that I had found in the closet. I figured that if I was going to _be_ a part of the Volturi, I might as well _look_ like a part of the Volturi. Around six o'clock a man showed up at my door with my dinner. I recognized him from the first day as Demetri.

"Demetri," I said hesitantly as he handed me the tray. "Whose guard are you apart of?"

He smiled gently. "So you're gonna be changed, huh? Well, I wasn't changed by the Volturi—I joined about a century ago. I'm apart of Master Caius's guard, but I serve Aro as well. No matter whose guard we're in, we're all loyal to the Volturi. So… I see that Caius has taken an interest in you…"

I looked down, feeling embarrassed. "I don't know… maybe he just wants me to be a part of his guard."

Demetri laughed. "He doesn't care two shits about who's in his guard."

I turned around and walked into my room, setting the tray on the bed. Demetri stood in my doorway, leaning on one side. "Well then I don't know what he wants from me," I murmured, taking a roll from the tray and tearing off a piece.

Demetri watched me eat, his nose wrinkled in disgust. "I don't know how you humans eat that stuff. It smells repulsive."

I giggled. "Well it tastes pretty good to humans."

"I can imagine," he replied, smiling crookedly. "Or else, I don't understand why on earth you would eat it."

"So, people in the Volturi have… like mates right?" I asked focusing on my bread and trying not to blush. I could've guessed, but I wanted to make sure. I didn't know if they were like the Cullens and paired up, or if they never did those kind of things.

"Oh sure," he answered, looking at the ceiling. "All of the masters do, or did I should say."

My eyes flew to his body. "All of them?" I asked. The hole that Edward had punched through my heart felt like it had just been reopened, only larger. Caius… had a mate…? Why didn't he tell me? Then again, why _would_ he tell me? I'm just a human that's going to be a part of his guard… That's the only reason why he was paying attention to me. He didn't like me at all, he just wanted me in his guard. That was it.

"Well Caius and Aro do. Marcus's mate was killed a long time ago," Demetri explained. He watched me for another moment, his eyes narrowing with worry. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I whispered. If I had spoken any louder, my voice would have cracked.

Demetri came over and sat on the bed beside me, taking my hand in his. I shuddered at his touch, but he seemed used to it. "What's wrong?" he pressed gently.

"It's just… I was thinking about… Edward," I lied, but still let out a mangled sob when I said _his_ name.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting in Demetri's lap being cradled like a little baby. He stroked my hair gently, consoling me. "Shh, it's alright. You're safe here."

I continued to sob into his chest until the door flung open so violently, it made me jump. "What is going on here?" a furious voice demanded. I looked up to see Caius standing there, glaring at our embrace.

"She was upset, and I was trying to make her feel better," Demetri replied shortly. My jaw nearly dropped at his tone. Did he want Caius to behead him?

Caius stalked over and grabbed Demetri by the collar, yanking him up, sending me tumbling to the floor. "YOU WILL NOT TOUCH HER!" he roared. For the first time ever, I saw real fear flash in Demetri's eyes. "The only reason why I let you fool around with Athena is because she was never my true mate. You _will not_ go near Isabella, is that understood?" he snarled.

Demetri nodded quickly, and Caius dropped him. Demetri scrambled to his feet and darted from the room leaving Caius and I alone. I cowered on the floor, afraid to look up at him. The fury in his voice had scared the crap out of me. I didn't want to look up and experience his wrath.

"Isabella, you may rise," he said. His voice was eerily calm. I didn't know if this was good or bad, but I did as he said, and stood up, still avoiding his gaze. He took my chin in his hand again, but gentler than before and raised my face to his. "As long as you are a member of the Volturi, and you are loyal to me, and only me, you will have nothing to fear."

I nodded, gazing into his eyes. They were much softer now than they had been when he spoke to Demetri. "Master, may I ask you something?"

He thought for a moment before giving in. "Very well."

"Who is Athena?"

His face instantly changed to the same one I saw the day I first came here—that look of anger and hatred for the world. "That is none of your business, Isabella. I don't want to hear you speak that name ever again, do you understand?"

I nodded, looking down submissively. "Yes, master. Whatever you wish."

"Well then, come with me." With that, he grabbed my upper arm roughly. I almost had to jog to keep up with him as he led me down a long, narrow hallway. I wondered if the hallway would ever end when a staircase came into view on the far side. He pulled me up the stairs, never stopping to let me rest.

At the top of the stairs was a wooden door with a large, very antique-looking lock on it. He pulled a key out of his pocket and opened it up. "Welcome to your future, Isabella," Caius said, looking over his shoulder at me, smirking. The door swung open slowly with a creek exposing a dark room.

Caius took me inside and flipped on a light switch, and my jaw hit the floor. There was a white bed in the back right corner, and that was probably the only normal object in there. To the left was a large brown cabinet that was composed almost entirely of drawers. There was a bench, directly in front of me with a bar above it. Around the rest of the room, whips, chains, vibrators, and other sex toys were everywhere. I finally understood what he meant when he asked if I would serve him.

I turned to look at Caius who was gazing at me and smirking. "Strip," he ordered, his voice harsh, but his eyes teasing.

It took me a few moments for the realization of what was happening to dawn on me. Caius… wanted to have sex with me. He wanted me to be his sex slave. I looked at him for a moment, bewildered. He just looked at his wrist as if he had a watch on. "Time is ticking away, Isabella. Remember what you said earlier? You said you would serve me. I am your master, and I am telling you to strip."

I drew in an unsteady breath before slipping off my cloak, exposing my black dress. Caius made a sound that sounded like a purr. "Take that off as well."

Following his orders, I unzipped the dress in the back, and let the top fall from my shoulders, exposing my chest. It continued to fall until the whole thing pooled around my ankles, leaving me only in my undergarments.

Caius smirked at me and slipped off his own shirt, exposing the wonderfully-sculpted plains of his chest. His body was absolutely perfect—he had satisfying muscles, but they weren't overwhelming. "Take off those offending items of clothing, Isabella," he instructed, motioning to my undergarments.

I took a deep breath and unhooked my bra in the back. I hesitated a moment before letting it fall forward, exposing my breasts to him. He growled, low in his throat. I looked at him worriedly, afraid that I had done something wrong, but he didn't seem angry. His eyes were black with lust as he took me in. My eyes wandered down to his waist where a large bulge was poking out from his pants. He was actually excited for me. He wanted me. Edward… Edward never wanted me like that.

"Take. Off. The. Underwear," Caius growled, his eyes devouring my body. I never thought I wouldn't mind him looking at me this way—like I was his next meal—but I knew that he wouldn't hurt me. I slipped off my panties and let them join the rest of my clothes on the floor.

Caius smirked. "Tell me, Isabella. Are you a virgin?"

I nodded self-consciously, restraining the urge to cover my chest. "Yes, master."

"Well then, this should be quite an experience for you. In this room, I am still your master, but here, you are not my guard—you are my pet; my sex toy. Nothing more. As long as you do exactly as I say and behave yourself, I will give you the time of your life. Break my rules, and you will be punished. Do not speak unless I give you permission," he said, unbuckling his belt and pulling it through the loops of his pants. My eyes were glued to his crotch as he unzipped his pants and let them pool around his ankles. Even with his boxers restraining him, he was large. I felt his eyes on me as he tugged his boxers down around his ankles.

I had to struggle to not let my jaw drop at the mere size of him. Caius chuckled manically. "Do you like what you see, Isabella?"

I kept my mouth shut unsure if it was rhetorical or not, and I wasn't sure if I was even allowed to speak. He didn't seem to mind my silence. He kicked his clothes aside and went over to me. He didn't say anything—he just circled me, slapping my ass when he was behind me. "Kneel," he instructed.

Not wanting to make him wait longer than he had to, I quickly knelt down, and kept my head bowed.

His icy hand stroked my hair before ghosting along my jawline to my chin. Gently, he pulled my face up so was even with his large, engorged cock. He smirked down at me. "Suck." When I remained still, unsure what he meant, he grasped my hair and both his hands and shoved my head forward so I took him in my mouth.

At first I was repulsed, but I went along with it. I pulled off, grazing my teeth along the sides of his shaft, making him moan. When I reached the tip, I swirled my tongue around it, licking off and then swallowing the pre-cum. I then slid forward, going as far down his length as I could. My left hand grasped the base of his shaft as my right stroked his balls softly.

Caius groaned and gripped my hair tightly, occasionally pulling. I continued my ministrations, until he finally released in my mouth. He growled as he finally came and stroked my head gently as I sucked him dry.

"For a virgin, you have a very talented mouth, Isabella," he breathed as I pulled away from his now flaccid length.

"Thank you," I said smiling, but then my hand flew to my mouth. I looked up at him, remembering the 'do not speak' rule. I waited for the rage, but there was none—only amusement.

"You look like you've committed a crime," he chuckled.

"I have. I've disobeyed you," I whispered, staring at the floor. "I deserve punishment." Truthfully, I felt disappointed in myself. I promised that I would obey Caius and follow all of his rules and make him happy, but I had failed.

"It's only your first day," he reasoned gently.

"What happened to discipline?" I murmured hesitantly. "Not meaning to be disrespectful, sir. But I do deserve to be punished."

"Well… if you want to be punished," Caius said thoughtfully. "To the bench, Isabella." I did as he said, and went over to the bench and waited while he went over to a small closet located in a corner of the room and took out a paddle. "Kneel down and lean over the bench, legs spread," he instructed, walking over slowly.

Again, I followed his instructions and waited for the first slap. "How many paddles do you think you deserve, Isabella?" he inquired, running one icy finger down my spine to my ass.

"As many as my master sees fit," I replied, gripping the bench, waiting for the pain.

"Good answer. I think… five hits are in order. Now, obviously, this is going to hurt, but if at any time, you feel like you can't take it, call out the safe word. The safe word is 'newborn'. I want you to count out loud for me, but otherwise, make no sound," he said.

With that, the first strike came hard and fast against my right butt cheek. I clenched my teeth together to prevent from crying out. I deserved this. "One, master," I muttered through my teeth, sucking in a nervous breath.

Again, he hit me with the paddle, but this time on the left cheek. I closed my eyes and stubbornly pushed back tears. Damn, Caius hit harder than I thought he would. "Two… master."

Three more times paddled me, and three more times, I held back tears and counted for him. When he had beaten me five times, he put the paddle away and ordered me to stand. "You have been a good little girl, Isabella. You have done what I have asked, and you willingly took your punishment, and recognized your mistake—one that I am sure you will not make twice. Since you have been so good this evening, I am going to reward you. Go to the bed."

I went to the bed and stood beside it, waiting for more orders.

He looked at me and made a facial expression that was somewhat resembling a smile. "Lie down, dearest Isabella. Make yourself comfortable. This is your _reward_."

I laid back on the bed with my legs straight and my arms at my sides. I waited for about a minute before Caius climbed on the bed on top of me. "Tell me, Isabella. How shall you have my cock? Speak."

"However my master sees fit," I answered quickly, staring up at his dominating crimson eyes.

"As you wish, Isabella," he murmured softly, the domineering Caius disappearing and being replaced with a softer one. He leaned in close to my face, causing my heart to pound in my chest. Would he really…? Caius pressed his lips to mine gently, almost reverently. I kissed him back just as soft, when he pulled away a few centimeters. He stared into my eyes as he said, "Touch me, Isabella."

I didn't need to be told twice and grasped clumps of his gorgeous blond hair in my hands, kissing him back fiercely. He clearly wanted dominance even now as he slid his tongue into my mouth and took control. I gladly let him, enjoying the feel of his tongue as it slid around my mouth, exploring. His hands ran down my sides to my waist and then back up, cupping both of my breasts. They seemed to fit in his palms almost perfectly, and Caius began to knead them—gently for a vampire but just enough pressure for a human.

"Isabella," he moaned, pulling his lips away from mine. "I cannot hold on any longer. It's going to hurt at first, but the pain will turn into pleasure. I give you permission to speak and touch me for the rest of the time in this room."

"Thank you, master," I breathed, and gasped as I felt his tip brush my entrance. I gripped his hair as he proceeded to enter me until he reached my barrier.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," he whispered, his voice barely audible. He pushed past my barrier, shooting pain through me. I gasped and pulled his hair, whimpering a little. I tried to convince myself that the pain was the pleasure, or that the pain was just an illusion, but the pain _was_ real. It _did_ hurt.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Caius kept whispering. The soft tone of his voice surprised me. It actually sounded like he cared.

Once Caius was fully sheathed, he waited a minute before I told him that he could move. Once he had the okay, God did he move! I never thought that life could ever get that good. He was rough, but gentle at the same time so he wouldn't injure or break me. It wasn't long until I reached my climax and released around his still moving cock.

Caius groaned as my fluids flowed around him. "Dammit, Isa...bella…" he trailed off as he too released and sent his seed coursing inside me.

I let my head fall back farther into the pillow and struggled to catch my breath. I felt Caius pull out and flop down beside me. "You are amazing in every way, Isabella."

"So are you… master," I murmured, rolling over so I faced him.

"Call me Caius," he said, smiling crookedly.

"Caius," I repeated, locking my arms around his neck. His arms snaked around waist and pulled me to him. I smiled and rested my head against his hard, cold chest. "Caius…" I whispered, closing my eyes sleepily.

"Sweet dreams, _cara mia._ _Siete miei,_" he murmured. That was the last thing I heard before I drifted into a peaceful sleep, lying in my master's arms.

* * *

**Translations: **

"_Cara mia_": My dear

"_Siete miei_": You are mine

This chapter is 8 pages long on Microscoft Word... One of my longest chapters ever. :) Hope you like it.

AND... the plot thickens. Why do Caius and Demetri hate each other? Who is Athena? Why will Caius not talk about her? What will the Cullens think when they find out Isabella is a sub? When will I stop asking ridiculous questions and write the next chapter? Who knows!

Thanks so much for reading, as I've said before I love my fans, and I LOVE REVIEWS! :D Please leave one and the next chapter will CUM. ;)


	3. Chapter 3: Exposed

_Salvation - Chapter 3_

_I do not own any of the characters, or most of the locations. They belong to Ms. Meyer. _

_Okay, surprise Caius perspective! :) I wasn't expecting to write from his POV, but I figured that it would be nice to see what goes on in that gorgeous mind of his, so there you go. He's in denial, but hopefully this thing with Bella and Athenodora will convince him. :) Probably shouldn't have said that... oh well._

_When I was writing this chapter, I was listening to the song "All Alright" by Fun. It reminded me of Caius in a way in this chapter, especially after what happened. More of how this song fits him with be revealed later, so please review and more will come! _

* * *

**3. Exposed**

I woke up that morning in my own room with no gorgeous Caius in sight. I fought back tears and rolled over to have my hand brush against something hard and papery. I sat up and saw a note lying on the other pillow with my name on it.

Hesitantly, I looked around the room before opening it. It read:

_Dearest Isabella,_

_I regret not being there when you wake, but I am afraid that I have some business with my brothers that must be seen to. I hope that you are not angry with me for my absence. Meet me today at noon in the garden. If you need directions, ask Felix to show you the way. I will be waiting for you, and we can talk about what exactly happened last night._

_Sincerely,_

_Caius_

My heart fluttered. He wanted to meet me? At noon? What time was it now? And what did exactly happen last night? I jumped out of bed and looked around the room for a clock. The only thing I found close to one was a sundial in the bathroom that I didn't know how to read and wasn't even usable since there weren't any windows. I sighed resignedly and decided to get dressed and find Felix.

The clothes that I had been wearing the previous night were draped over the foot of my bed. I slipped on the black dress and put the cloak over it as I had before, and left the room to find one of the guards. I wandered the halls for a good while before I approached a small staircase leading downward. I followed it down to a long, narrow hallway I recognized. Jane had brought me down this way on my first day here. If I continued to follow it, I would end up in the large courtroom.

Taking a deep breath, I continued forward until I emerged behind the three massive throne chairs. I saw Marcus and Caius sitting in theirs, but I was directly behind Aro. Nearby, I spotted two cloaked, most likely female figures standing in the shadows. The wives? Was Caius's wife over there?

Whatever was going on apparently had stopped upon my arrival. Aro rose and turned to face me. "Ah, Isabella! How wonderful of you to join us!" He motioned for me to come forward gently.

My heartbeat accelerated, and I exchanged a glance with Caius. There was no hint of the passion and possible love like there had been last night. That cold, stony stare had returned. It sent shivers down my spine. Still, I took a deep breath and came up to stand between Aro and Caius's thrones. I stood slightly closer to Caius. I wondered if anyone noticed. Aro wore a smirk so I suppose that he did. I saw through the corner of my eyes as Caius's hand drifted closer to mine.

Before us stood a small coven of vampires, who were staring at me with wide eyes. "She… she is human," a tall man with dark hair and red eyes murmured.

Beside him stood a man with shoulder-length, messy brown hair, and he stared at me with black, hungry eyes. What happened next probably happened in about ten seconds. The brown-haired man lunged for me, and in the next instant, Caius was on his feet. He shoved me backward roughly and tackled the man to the ground. The two vampires fought so quickly and violently that they were nearly invisible as they moved with such speed. I stared at the blurs, terrified for Caius.

Finally, Demetri and Felix jumped into the fight and tore the brown-haired man away from my lover. I gazed at Caius from behind, my eyes running over his body looking for injuries. I sighed when I found none, but I noticed that he was holding the brown-haired man's arm. "If you go near Isabella again, I will not be so generous," Caius growled and tossed the man's arm to him. "She is mine and mine only. Felix, Demetri, rid us of his presence."

The two guards drug the man out of the room, and Caius turned to me. "Are you alright, Isabella?" he inquired quietly. His eyes gazed at me full of concern. "Did I hurt you at all?"

I shook my head. I felt light-headed, though. Caius had defended me. He was willing to attack that man to save me. _"She is mine and mine only."_ His words made me shiver. It was so possessive, and almost frightening, but at the same time, it turned me on. I knew he would protect me. He would keep me safe.

"Caius?" a small, fragile voice called from the shadows.

We all turned to see a woman with strawberry blond hair coming toward him hesitantly. A look of pure pain was written across his face. I stared at her, and I finally understood. This was i_her._/i This was Caius's wife. Caius stared at her, hurt flashing in his eyes, but then quickly melting away into a look of pure hatred. His eyes went from crimson to the darkest black I had ever seen them. "Athenodora," he greeted her formally, but fury was threatening to make his voice tremble.

She looked down at me and glared. "_This_ is it? You're leaving me for this pathetic human? She isn't even pretty! She's one of the ugliest I've ever seen!"

"Athena," Aro warned, rising from his throne and turning to face her.

She ignored him and continued to insult me. "What is wrong with you? How could you possibly like her? She's a whore and a home-wrecker, Caius. She only wants a good fuck, and then she's gonna leave you."

Caius just glared at her. "Home-wrecker?" he asked, his voice eerily calm. "She is a home-wrecker?" And then, he did the thing that I think scared me the most—he started laughing. His laugh was the only sound in the room, and it sounded more than creepy. I just stared at him like he was bonkers. "If Isabella is a home-wrecker, what do you call Demetri?"

His wife stiffened. "That… is none of your—"

"I think it _is_ my business to know who my wife is sleeping around with behind my back!" he snapped, any of that bitter humor gone. "It is over between us, Athena. I want a divorce as soon as possible."

She stared at him. "Are you serious?"

"Dead serious," he answered, smirking manically.

Athenodora looked outraged as she gazed at her husband. "And then what? Are you going to make that pathetic human your new queen?" she sneered. "She looks like the start of a bad joke!"

Though most of her words were full of lies, I couldn't help but think about what she said… Me? Caius's queen? Would I even want that? I knew that I liked Caius—he seemed to be dark and sinister on the outside, but there was something kind and gentle about him at the same time. He was enthralling. Could I be his queen? I would have to become a vampire… there was no way they would allow me to be his queen as a human.

Caius did not answer Athenodrora's question on my status, and just stalked toward her. He had that menacing, terrifying look in his eyes. "Listen to me, Athena," he spat his wife's name like it was poison. "I'm going to be merciful and banish you. If you ever return, it will mean certain death for you. If you near Isabella, death will not come swift and easy for you; I will make sure that you are tortured before you're killed."

There was something about his voice that chilled me. He had never used such a tone with me before. Even when he had told me never to speak her name, his voice had not been so full of malice. Athenodora backed away from him, her black eyes wide with fear. Her gaze scanned the throne room and finally landed on Demetri. The guard stood at the entrance with Felix, his head bowed submissively. When she realized that her lover would not come to her rescue, she darted out of sight, and presumably toward the nearest exit.

Once she was gone, Caius straightened up a little and turned to me. I waited for his command for me to stand, but it never came. Instead, he outstretched his hand toward me. I took it warily, searching his gaze for any anger he might harbor for me. There was none, only concern. "I ask again, are you alright, Isabella?" he inquired in a whisper.

At that moment, I felt like the room was empty and it was just the two of us. I didn't think that the entire guard stood there watching us with wide, shocked eyes. I didn't care that Aro and Marcus were watching us with a mixture of confused, but at the same time amused expressions. I only focused on Caius. "Y-yes," I whispered back.

His face leaned in close to mine, and for a moment, I thought that he was going to kiss me in front of the entire coven. At the last second, he leaned away. "Then, I suggest that you return to your chambers," he murmured, softly. His voice sounded like smooth velvet, and was full of affection. "I will meet you in a while," he added in an even quieter voice.

I nodded, and turned away from him before quickly left the room, ignoring the hard stares of the Volturi burning into my back.

* * *

When I returned to my room, I sat on the bed, my entire being trembling. The reality of what had just happened in the throne room was finally beginning to sink in. I tried to think calmly and rationally about everything that happened.

First off, I was basically attacked by a vampire. I was human, and by living with the Volturi and making an appearance there was a horrible decision on my part, then again, I had no idea they had visitors. Still, I should have known better, but I had only been looking for Caius. Caius had been there. Caius defended me. He willingly jumped in between the bloodthirsty vampire and me. He risked his life to save mine. I had no idea what would have happened if he had been hurt… I didn't want to think about it.

Secondly, Caius's mysterious wife, Athenodora made an appearance. Her treachery was exposed before the entire coven—no one could doubt that she had wronged him. The fact that she had been cheating on him, and Caius knew it, made me shiver. Was that the only reason he wanted me? Was I just a toy for him to use to make his wife jealous? Was all that love and concern in his eyes fake? I was I just a pawn in this fucking game of chess and politics? Athenodora had a point—I was just a pathetic human. I was not fit to be any queen. What did Caius possibly see in me? How long would it be before he got tired of me? I didn't want to think about that. I never wanted to see that day when he would break my heart and dispose of me because I was no longer useful to him.

As I sat there, I realized something that frightened me: I loved Caius. My rational side just sat there scolding my emotions and saying that I barely knew him. However, my emotions were not listening to reason. They knew how I felt when I was around him. I couldn't explain it—when I was with him, I felt happy… whole. But, when I was apart from him, I felt like dying. It was a thousand times worse than when Edward left me seven months ago. What would happen if he didn't feel the same way? Could I take being rejected a second time? My rational side returned and told me that I was beginning to just assume that Caius was like Edward, but he wasn't. He was so much better than my former, vegetarian boyfriend.

I was still consumed in my thoughts when I a knock sounded on the door. I looked up and couldn't help my smile. It was probably Caius coming down to see me like he promised. "Come in," I called sitting on the bed with my legs folded pretzel-style. The door swung open slowly, ominously. As I think back on it, I should've taken that as a sign that something was wrong, but in my eagerness to see my lover, it didn't register. My smile faded as I saw a woman standing in my doorway, wearing an evil smirk on her face. This smirk was not arrogant and playful like Caius's—it was dark, hateful, evil.

"I'm not going to let some pathetic human steal my position in this coven," Athenodora snarled, stepping inside. She closed the door behind her, and locked it. My heartbeat accelerated; there was no way I could stand a fight against her.

"CAIUS!" I screamed, but in the next instant, her hand was over my mouth.

"Shut up, you little whore!" she snarled. "I'm going to kill you, and then Caius will be so heartbroken that he didn't arrive in time to save you." With that, she punched me hard in the face, and sent me flying back onto the bed. The last thing I saw was her standing over me, smiling from ear to ear.

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***Caius POV***

I sat in the throne room while Aro finished addressing the Russian coven. I jittered in my throne irritably as the Aro and the leader exchanged useless pleasantries. There was nothing more I wanted than to be with Isabella in her room and explain to her what the hell just happen. I knew I was scowling at them—it had become quite a habit of mine. The rest of the Volturi were used to it—all the guards knew I was not to be messed with… I couldn't even begin to imagine what they thought of me know after my display with Isabella.

For the love of the gods, I was Caius—the ruthless, remorseless Volturi leader. Everyone knew me, and everyone feared me. I loved no one… _Except Isabella,_ a part of me responded. I growled quietly at myself for thinking that. No. I could not love that human… Still, I could not deny the way I felt around her. It was so different—like nothing I had ever felt before.

Marcus claimed that we were soul-mates, and what I felt when I was near her was the mating pull, but I refused to believe that. I could not love anyone. I was unlovable. Isabella didn't love me; she couldn't. Even… even if I did admit that I did love her—which I never would—she wouldn't feel the same. It would be Athenodora all over again. She would get tired of me, or she would be afraid of me. I could make her fear me—make it easy for myself… but I couldn't do that. I wasn't myself around her, and I didn't understand it.

Aro was just about to call upon of the guards to show the Russian coven to their quarters when a scream erupted from on the far side of the castle. "CAIUS!" it was faint, even with our expert hearing, but I heard it clear as day. It was Isabella's scream.

I didn't wait to be dismissed. I leap to my feet and took off in the direction of my personal wing. Fear gripped my heart as I ran, pushing myself faster still. I heard footsteps behind me and I know it would be Felix, or my brothers, or both following me. I didn't care. I thought of Athenodora, and fury blazed through me—we never got the confirmed message that she had left. She could have been waiting in Isabella's room, waiting to ambush her… to kill her.

When I reached Isabella's room, my former wife's stench was heavy in the air. I immediately tried to open the door, and when I learned it was locked, just kicked it in, but I was too late. When I entered the room, I saw a large, gaping hole had been punched through the wall, and my Isabella was gone.

_Since when is she_ your _Isabella?_ the monster inside me asked. I growled at it and went to the hole in the wall and stared out at the sun shining high in the sky. Its rays did little to warm me, but just made my pale skin glitter in the light. I felt like screaming. Isabella was gone. My wife had taken her. I let out a snarl of rage and punched the remaining part of the wall and sent it crumbling down to the ground below.

"Brother," Aro's voice came from behind me.

I didn't look at him. I scented the air and knew that Felix was among them. Felix was one of the few guards I actually trusted. For one, he was the strongest vampire known to us, which made him useful. He was also extremely loyal to the Volturi, and became my personal guard shortly after joining us about a millennium ago. I knew that I could count on him to get the job done. "Felix," I said, still not looking over my shoulder.

"Yes, master?" his voice came. I could hear his footsteps as he stepped closer.

"Get Demetri and Santiago and meet me here. We're going after them," I told him.

"Of course, master," he replied and darted off.

"Caius," Aro's voice came again.

I sighed and turned to face him. Marcus was there too, along with Sulpicia, Aro's wife, who stood in the back. "What?" I asked irritably.

"I don't know why you just accept it, brother," Aro said sadly.

I growled at him, and glowered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Caius, you love her. Stop denying it. Your bond with her is stronger than ever," Marcus said simply. He watched me carefully to see my reaction.

I said nothing. They were right, and deep down I knew it. This… this human had wrapped me around her little finger, and I had let her… but surprisingly, I didn't mind being controlled for once, not if she was the one in charge.

Felix returned with Santiago and Demetri. When I saw my wife's lover I smirked. I had a plan to make both of them suffer for their betrayal. "Demetri, I want you to track Athenodora's scent and help me find Isabella." I knew this would hurt him. I knew he cared for my wife, and that was too bad. I was his master, and he obeyed.

I saw the pain flash in the boy's eyes, but he dipped his head in submission. "Yes master, as you wish."

"Very well, start tracking," I ordered, steeping away to allow him to access the gaping hole in the wall of the castle. Aro would have to fix that and soon.

Demetri stepped up and stood in the sunlight, squinting up at it without reason. Finally, he latched on to the scent and pulled up the hood of his gray cloak before darting off. Felix and Santiago did the same and followed him. I reached behind my head and pulled up my hood before facing my brothers. "I shall see you, hopefully very soon, with Isabella at my side."

They nodded, and wished me well before I darted off after my guards.

* * *

_So... what do you think? Leave a review and tell me! I was planning on having Athenodora capture Bella later, but I figured Caius needed some convincing that he needed his Isabella. XD_


	4. Chapter 4: Truth

_Salvation - Chapter 4_

_I do not own any characters or any of Stephenie Meyer's creations. _

_The title of this chapter speaks for itself... read and understand._

**_P.S. SEE IF YOU CAN FIND A HIDDEN HARRY POTTER CHARACTER! ;)_**

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**4. Truth**

I woke up in a clearing with only the moonlight illuminating the landscape around me. On the eastern side of the clearing was a large, stone cliff face that rose far above my head, but otherwise, I was surrounded by woodland. I looked up at the starry sky above me and immediately noticed the bright full moon shining like a beacon in the black sky.

Sighing, I looked around, trying to remember what I was doing here, and then, it hit me. Athenodora had brought me here. Despite the fact that it was summer and the humid night air seemed to be trying to suffocate me, I felt cold. Icy sweat pooled on my pale skin as I looked around the clearing, searching for that horrid ice bitch. My eyes finally landed on a dark shape on the opposite side of the clearing. I could've groaned. Where was Caius? Would he come and find me? Was he even looking for me? Or was he tired of me already? Did he ever even love me?

"So, the human's awake," Athenodora's voice sounded in the direction of the figure. She started toward me, and I tried to move away. I never really got the "run for your life!" urge around vampires until I met her. When James had attacked me, I felt it, but now, it was much more prominent. She laughed at my attempt to squirm away from her, and simply stepped on my leg. "Running won't do you any good, human. It'll just make the process of torturing you to death longer."

I whimpered as she increased the pressure on my leg. She laughed. "Awe, does that hurt you?" She applied more pressure, causing me to yelp. "Do you miss Caius?" Tears welled up in my eyes, and I tried to blink them away, but just couldn't. They started to fall, and Athenodora didn't miss them. "You do miss my husband, don't you?" she giggled manically. She pressed harder and made me scream until I heard a snap.

She finally removed her foot and took a step back. "Look at you," she sneered. Even with the moonlight shining on her pale skin, she looked demonic. "You're pathetic. You're human. I can't believe that Caius even wants you… He probably doesn't. If he did, he would be here by now, don't you think? They have that amazing tracker, Demetri… Oh, but Demetri is a friend of mine, isn't he? He could always lead them in the opposite direction on purpose…"

My blood ran cold. Would Demetri do that? Would he protect his lover before he obeyed his master? I let out a small whimper, wishing that Caius was there by my side, holding me. _Where is he? Why isn't he here? He should be! Will he even come at all?_ It took all the willpower I had to not break down into sobs right there.

She could see I was struggling. "You're so naïve," she chuckled. "You actually thought that my husband, the great Caius, could actually love a stupid, fragile human? Ha!" She began to circle me like a hungry predator preparing to spring. "You know, it's too bad that Caius isn't here to see your demise… I'm sure he would have loved to see it. But don't worry, I'll be sending you back to him… piece by piece."

I trembled uncontrollably as she approached me once more. "You wanna blow your precious Caius one last kiss before I break your jaw?"

"That won't be necessary, Athena," a familiar voice snarled from the shadows. We both looked in that direction and saw a tall, dark figure coming toward us, flanked by two others. I knew that voice. I loved that voice. He'd came.

"Caius!" I gasped. I couldn't help but smile, but at the same time, I felt the tears fall. I couldn't hold on any longer.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, Athenodora's foot collided with my leg. "Shut up, you whore!" she snarled.

In the next instant, the two figures flanking Caius darted forward and secured Athenodora. Another figure emerged from behind Caius and went to the join them. "Take care of her, Demetri," Caius ordered, walking toward me.

I moaned, as I tried to move my leg. I wanted to stand up and be close to him. "Caius…"

He reached my side and knelt down beside me. "Oh, Isabella," he whispered, running his icy fingers along my jawline. "I am so sorry you had to go through this."

I tried to tell him that it was okay and I was so glad he was here, but everything seemed so overwhelming. I felt a lump rise in the back of my throat, making it almost impossible for me to speak, and the pain in leg wasn't helping either. His cold touch on my leg made me feel substantially better, but it didn't dull it entirely. I was well aware of the tears streaming down my cheeks, but Caius didn't seem to mind, he just wiped them away with his thumb. "Shh, you are safe now, _cara mia,_" he murmured. Caius pulled me into his arms and held me in his lap, allowing me to bury my face in his chest.

He continued to try to console me, until a growl sounded from the tree line. My lover's head shot up instantly. I followed his gaze to the place in the forest where the growl had come from, but I couldn't see what his eyes were fixated on. His lips curled back in a snarl. "No!" he hissed, looking at Athenodora who was still being restrained by the two, unidentified figures. "No, they're extinct!"

She laughed. "No they're not, Caius. The Children of the Moon are still very much alive. I have connections with them, you know?" she sneered. "I have for a while… who do you think set them on you during that hunting trip?"  
If his face could get any paler, it would have. "You…" he trailed off, his anger faltering. "You… tipped them off about my location so they could kill me?"

She smirked and flipped her bangs out of her face before replying. "The Children of the Moon had heard of the Volturi, and they knew since werewolves and vampires were common enemies that they should… do something about the vampires… I met a werewolf in the woods one day after we had a fight. He told me that he could get rid of you… easily. When I asked him why, he told me of him and his pack. I was intrigued, and he promised to let me survive their… rampage if I led them to the one of the Volturi leaders… and I did that. I led them straight to you, Caius."

I stared at his wife for a long moment, trying to process her words. She had set up Caius to be killed years ago by a pack of werewolves… The thought of werewolves made me think of my best friend, Jacob Black… I couldn't even imagine where he was now, or what he was doing. A part of me missed him, but another reminded that he would hate me know. I would soon become a vampire and he would have no choice but to hate me. For a fleeting moment, I imagined Jacob standing in the trees preparing to attack Caius for taking me from him. I shuddered and shoved the thought of Jacob killing Caius away.

Something told me that these Children of the Moon weren't normal werewolves, though. It was a full moon, and that must be the only time they could phase, unlike Jacob's pack. More images of half man half wolf creatures lurking through the shadows surrounding us and preparing to spring crept into my mind. I scolded myself internally, knowing that I was just causing myself nightmares.

"You… You could have been killed if that got out! You should have been killed! I always wondered why you never let Aro touch you anymore—you were terrified that he would see what you did!" Caius snarled. I could hear the rage in his voice, and could almost feel it radiating off him in waves, but his arms were still gentle as they held me close to him protectively. "And you were always so eager to touch him before that! I was not stupid, Athena, I knew that you had a thing for him. You wanted so desperately to be married to Aro and not me because he had more power and authority. You even tried to seduce poor Marcus after Didyme was killed, did you not? The poor thing would've had a heart-attack if he could've!"

Athenodora glared at him. One thing was for certain, they were very similar as far as their death glares went. "You think you're so smart, don't you?" she taunted. "James, Fenrir, now!"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, Demetri grabbed her head on both sides and pulled. I cringed and closed my eyes as I heard the familiar sound of porcelain breaking as Athenodora was finally killed. Still, I knew we were both in mortal danger. The growls in the shadows got louder as two humanoid figures approached us.

The Children of the Moon were nothing like Jacob and his pack. While the Quileute werewolves looked like oversized wolves, these creatures looked more apelike that canine. There was faces almost human-like apart from their long snouts and pointed ears. Their forelegs were long and drug on the ground when they walked upright on their shorter, but stronger hind legs. Their bodies were almost completely hairless and ugly.

Caius growled and gently set me down before rising to his feet. A moment later, all of the vampires were surrounding me, with their backs to me. I sat on the ground, staring up at them with horror. "They drink blood too," Felix's voice came from one of the cloaked figures. "Bella's scent is very potent as it is… the werewolves are going to find it irresistible."

"I know that!" Caius snapped. "Santiago, if things go wrong, take Bella and one. There's no reason she should die with the rest of us."

I gasped. "No…" I whimpered, looking at Caius wide-eyed. "I don't… wanna leave…" I needed to tell him that. I needed him to know. "I love you."

Caius stopped for a moment and glanced over his shoulder at me. "I… I love you too, Isabella… and that's why I need you safe."

A demonic growl sounded to my right. I whimpered and scooted away from it only to bump into someone's leg. "Sorry…" I mumbled.

"So what do we do? Wait until one of them lunges?" Demetri asked in a low voice.

Suddenly, one of the werewolves lunged and caught the figure on my right off guard. The vampire growled and tried to shove it off him. "Felix, help him!" Caius hissed.

Felix, darted to help the unknown vampire, and grasped the werewolf around the waist and pulled it away from him. Then, they were both on their feet, snarling and circling the werewolf and growling. Caius and the other vampire left began to circle me, preventing the remaining wolf from finding a way to get to me.

This werewolf was larger than the other, and gazed at me with hungry red eyes. Saliva foamed at the corners of his mouth and dripped from his jaws as he panted. My heartbeat accelerated pumping blood throughout my body so quickly, I could almost feel it rushing around underneath my skin. The werewolf must have heard it; it saw an opening and lunged.

"NO!" Caius hissed and jumped in the way just before it could get to me. Caius had the werewolf by the jaws and was clamping its mouth shut, but the wolf was struggling… and winning. With a mighty toss of its head, it threw Caius away like he was a twig. My lover hit the ground about ten feet away and staggered to his feet. "Demetri, take Isabella and get out of here! Now!" After he'd said this, he darted back to the werewolf and jumped onto its back.

The remaining vampire that I had to protect me leaned down to me. "Isabella, can you walk?"

I winced as I tried to stand. "I don't think so… My leg is broken…"

Demetri pulled his hood down exposing his handsome face. He was good-looking, nothing compared to Caius of course, but he was still nice to look at. "I'll carry you," he said simply before picking me up in his arms bridal style.

I looked at Caius who was wrestling with the werewolf, and then to Felix and Santiago struggling with the smaller one. I looked back to my lover who was fighting valiantly, but losing. "Caius…" I whimpered, feeling the tears well up in my eyes.

He looked up at me, his red eyes full of pain. "I'll come back, Isabella. I promise," he vowed before the werewolf squirmed out from underneath him.

I didn't see what happened after that; Demetri darted off with me in his arms.

* * *

Demetri ran me all the way back to Volterra, and the entire time I was crying hysterically. Caius had just admitted that he loved me, and now I might lose him. Once we were in the castle, he ran straight to the throne room where most of the coven was gathered. "Help! Caius needs help! Werewolves… trap…" he trailed off as he sat me on the floor and ran to Aro.

The entire coven stared at him with wide eyes as he grasped Aro's hand and showed him everything. For once, I saw fear flash in the Volturi leader's eyes. "Jane, Alec, Afton, Renata, Demetri, Marcus and I will go and assist them. Chelsea, Corin, I want you two to tend to Isabella and her injuries. Put her in Caius's chambers and keep her there!" he said, standing up immediately. Marcus stood too and looked at me sadly. I didn't have to be a mind-reader to know what he was thinking: Caius might be dead, and for the second time, I might be losing the one I love.

Two women approached me. They were both short, but the taller of the two had a perfect hour-glass figure and long, light brown hair that cascaded down her shoulders. The other was shorter and had very short dirty blond hair. "Isabella, I'm Chelsea," the taller one said. "Come with us, we'll take care of you."

I nodded, but still couldn't walk. "I'm sorry, but my leg's broken. I can't walk."

Chelsea nodded. "That's okay, Mistress. I'll carry you."

While trying not to focus on how weird it was to have a woman carry me, my thoughts wandered back to Caius and the werewolves. He had to be okay… I couldn't live without him. I began to finally understand Juliet's actions better. I knew that I would kill myself if Caius had been destroyed.

Chelsea and Corin tried constantly to distract me of the danger the man I loved was in. They told me about how he was more than capable of handling and entire pack of werewolves singlehandedly, but I had seen the way he struggled with the large one. Somehow, throughout everything, I felt content, but it just made me feel guilty. When I told them about it, Corin explained that it was her power. I told them to leave and that I just wanted to be alone, but they wouldn't go.

"Please! Just leave me alone!" I sobbed, lying face-down on the bed. I pulled a pillow over my head and continued to sob in to the comforter.

"You heard her!" a harsh voice hissed. "Both of you—out!"

I sat up immediately and turned around to see my beloved Caius standing in the doorway. When he saw my stunned expression, he just smirked. "You didn't think you'd get rid of me so easily, did you?" I knew he was joking, but I remembered how Athenodora had set him up to be killed years ago. I shuddered.

"I was worried," I admitted as the ladies filed out of the room.

Once they were gone, Caius shut the door behind them and darted over to me. He pulled me into his arms and held me to his chest. "I was so worried about you," he confessed now that we were alone. "I thought I'd lost you when that bitch took you away… and then with the werewolves…" he trailed off, kissing my head. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

"It's okay," I whispered, enjoying having him so close. I loved this side of him—the soft, loving side. "I love you, Caius."

I could almost feel him smile. He planted another kiss on my head. "I love you too, Isabella… I know that now. At first… when you walked into that throne room coming to save the man that betrayed you, you had me wrapped around your finger. You didn't know it, but you had me captivated. I was angry with you because I didn't understand it, and when I was around you, I couldn't control myself. I became a different person… but now I realize that this is the true me. That scowling, and that hatred that I've been feeling and expressing for the past millennia, was just a mask.

"I am the only Volturi leader that doesn't have a power, you know. I have to be tough. I have to be strong. I have to be ruthless… I have to give the world a reason to fear Caius Volturi… but that was never the real me. You… you have reminded me who I am—who I've always been. You've given me a reason to show that side of me once more… Athena… she only wanted me for my power, and even when she was with me, she wanted to be Aro's wife, or Marcus's, because they were more powerful. She would have done anything to be on top of the world… You're not like that. You love me for me, I can see it in your eyes."

I listened to him, and when he was finished, couldn't help but smile. "I do love you… I know that now too. I had this… connection with you since the day in the throne room… I couldn't understand it, and that was a part of the reason why I agreed to serve you and be a part of your guard."

Caius shook his head. "No. You won't be a part of my guard. When you're changed, you… you will be my mate… I mean… if you'll have me."

I pulled away and little and looked up at him. "Me? You want me to be your mate?"

He smiled widely. "Yes… My queen. My mate. My mistress… And even my wife if you want that."

Gasping, I looked into his red eyes that were full of nothing but love. "I… I would love to be your wife, Caius."

He smiled widely. "Good… So… that's a yes? We're getting married."

I smiled. "Yes. Yes. Dear God yes!" I laughed, and kissed his lips softly.

He kissed my back, cupping my face in his hands and pulling me closer. I locked my arms around his neck and thrust my tongue into his mouth, and moaned at how delicious he tasted. Caius pulled away and looked up at me, smiling. "There's plenty of time for that, _cara mia,_" he assured. "But… I would like to wait until we are officially married… I mean, I know that we've done it before and all, but I thought it would be nice to wait."

I nodded, feeling a little disappointed, but rested my head on his chest. "So… is everyone okay? What happened with the werewolves?"

He chuckled, his chest vibrating slightly as he did so. He laid back on the bed and pulled me so I was on top of him. He smiled up at me and stroked my hair gently. "Well, after Demetri ran you out of there, Felix and Santiago chased the small one off, and then the three of us ganged up on the large one and were able to kill it. We were just on our way back when we ran into Aro and the others. There's nothing else to tell."

"So… everyone's okay?" I asked again, kissing his neck.

He smirked. "Yes… Felix has a nasty bite on his arm though, but it'll heal for the most part… He'll have a scar though."

"He got bit?" I gasped, looking up at him, horrified.

Caius smirked a little at my reaction. "Yes, but don't worry, he was pretty enthusiastic about. He says that all the ladies will love his werewolf scar," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. "Felix will get killed one day, and the ladies won't love it," I muttered.

Caius smiled. "No, they'll cry over him, or at least that's what he thinks, but I'm sure that most of them will dance on his grave."

I couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "I could see it now—all the women in this castle throwing a party over his death."

He laughed with me and rubbed my back soothingly. "Yes… I could too…"

I smiled and opened my mouth to say something, but was cut off by a yawn. He smiled up at me and kissed the bridge of my nose. "Sleep, my darling, Isabella," he murmured. "Tomorrow, we will announce our marriage to the coven." He held me close to him and began to hum a soft, reassuring melody in my ear until I fell asleep.

* * *

_Translations:_

_"Cara mia" - My dear_

_Did you spot the Harry Potter character? XD Oh well. It was too irresistable. :) Please leave a review and tell me what you thought of the chapter! _


	5. Chapter 5: Visitors

_Salvation - Chapter 5_

_I want to thank EVERYONE for their amazing reviews! I love you all so much in a non-creepy way! Please keep reading and revieiwing! I really appreciate it!_

_I don't own Twilight. Stephenie Meyer does._

* * *

**5. Visitors**

A month had passed since we had announced the wedding, and everyone was getting ready to help plan it. Heidi, Jane, Renata and Sulpicia were more than thrilled about the wedding and insisted on helping me plan it. The wedding was only a month from now, and my presentation was only three weeks away. My leg had healed after Renata applied this miracle gel. She said that she wasn't going to let me limp down the aisle with crutches, and I couldn't complain.

Aro had decided that two weeks before the wedding, I would be presented as an official, future member of the Volturi. All of the wedding guests will have arrived by then and will see me for the first time, as well as learn who I was, and who I was marrying. While the girls were all caught up with the marriage ceremony, the dresses and whatnot, Alec, Felix and Demetri decided to plan Caius's bachelor party. This made me feel uneasy. How many strippers did those three intend on hiring? Thankfully, Sulpicia assured me that she would monitor the situation because she was not about to have her husband going to that kind of party.

Since it was this apparently a huge occasion, Aro decided to invite every vampire coven in existence to the affair… well every coven apart from the Romanians. When I asked Caius why, he just told me that the Volturi and the Romanians don't have a nice history, and that even if Aro did invite them, the Romanians wouldn't set foot within one hundred miles of Volterra. I didn't press the matter further, seeing that it was a touchy subject. Instead, I decided to ask him whether or not the Cullens were coming.

Caius was silent for a long moment before looking down. We sat in his study and he sat at his desk. I was sprawled out across a red couch just to the left of his desk, gazing at him intently, fearing his answer. "Aro invited them," he murmured finally. "But they haven't responded. I don't think Aro put our names on the invitations… I think he just said something about introducing a new guard member and announcing the marriage of one of the masters… But with what happened that day in the throne room, I'm sure they'll have figured it out. Edward read Marcus's mind—he saw the bonds, and he also knew that Aro had no intention of killing you, especially after Marcus told him that we were mates."

I took in a deep, unsteady breath while Caius continued to scribble away at documents on his desk. "What are you doing?" I inquired, watching him curiously. I never realized that the Volturi masters had more responsibilities than persecuting unfortunate, rule-breaking vampires and werewolves.

His lips twitched upward furtively before he replied. "Just signing these papers that need my signature. Random things really. Gianna convinced Aro to buy a computer a couple years ago. She even taught him how to use it, not that Aro really understood anything, but she tried. Still, it has simplified things greatly. Now I only need to sign a few things daily and everything is neat and tidy instead of having something handwritten. Believe me, most of the time when human employees would write something, it was just a bunch of scribbles. Not to mention no one ever uses calligraphy anymore!" He continued to rant about how times have changed, and I just listened patiently, enjoying his banter and trying not to laugh.

When he realized that he had begun to ramble, he stopped and looked down almost sheepishly. I giggled and went over to him. He rolled away from his desk on his chair slowly, allowing me to sit on his lap. I sat down and kissed his nose softly. "I love you," I whispered, gazing into his blood-red eyes.

He smiled up at me. "I love you too." I locked my arms around his neck and pulled him in close so I could kiss him. He locked his arms around my waist as I shifted so I straddled him. He let out a soft moan as I pressed against the growing bulge in his pants. His hands wandered along my back as he kissed me tenderly. I'd never seen this side of him before. Ever since he told me he was my mate, he had begun acting different. He wasn't the same Caius I had been with in the tower. I wanted to experience this Caius—the gentle, loving Caius.

I kissed him deeply, running my hands through his hair. His tongue ran along my bottom lip, asking me for entrance. I granted it to him eagerly and allowed him to explore my mouth with his tongue as I enjoyed the taste of him. I let out a soft moan and shifted closer, trying to grind myself on his lap. He growled—a low and guttural sound—and pulled away. "Don't tempt me, Isabella," he warned, licking his lips involuntarily.

"Why not, master? I know you want it," I replied, trying to copy his sexy smirk.

He let out another lustful growl before devouring my lips once more. I kissed him back, moaning softly.

I heard wolf-whistles sound from outside and Caius growled. "Go away, Felix!" he shouted, pulling away for a moment before kissing me again.

"Sorry, _master,_" he laughed, imitating my seductive voice. I could've died. I hid my face in Caius's chest and heard him chuckle quietly. "But Aro has requested you and Miss Isabella's presence in the throne room immediately."

"Dammit," I muttered, earning another chuckle from Caius.

"We have forever, love," he assured, kissing my forehead.

"Yeah, but I'm human. We're not as patient as three thousand year old vampires," I told him, smiling slightly.

"Come on, lovebirds!" Felix called from outside.

I groaned as I slid off Caius's lap and started toward the door. He followed me and opened the door to expose Felix standing there, leaning up against the opposite wall with this wide grin spread across his face. Caius narrowed his eyes and glared at him. "If you tell anyone about my sex life, I will personally dismember you!"

Felix snickered as he led the way down the hallway toward the throne room. Caius's personal wing was located on the west side of the castle near the gardens. Caius always said that he loved the smell of roses, which is why he chose that wing to make his own. I smiled at my thoughts of Caius sniffing the roses. He could really be sentimental sometimes.

When we reached the throne room, Aro and Marcus sat in their thrones and the other guards were gathered around the outside of the circular room. "Glad you could join us," Aro said, smiling crookedly. I knew that he knew exactly what we had been doing.

Caius sat on his throne, and I went to stand behind him, but he pulled me to him. In a flash, I was sitting bridal-style in his lap with my head on his shoulder and my feet resting on top of one of the armrests. "Is this… appropriate?" I asked in a whisper, looking at Caius. "I mean… I don't want to sit if Sulpicia has to stand."

"Sulpicia isn't attending, dearest Isabella," Aro said, smiling. "And by all means, make yourself comfortable on Caius's lap. Jane, dear, bring in our guests!"

The petite blond vampire exited the throne room through the massive oak doors. While we waited for her to return, Caius kept blowing in my ear, making me giggle. After a minute, Marcus told him to stop making me laugh. I blushed bright red and rested my head on his chest just as Jane reentered. Caius and I both looked up as she led a fairly large coven in behind her. I gasped at what I saw.

There stood the Cullens. I was staring at them. They were staring at me. I couldn't believe it… they were actually here. I shifted to I wasn't arrogantly sprawled across Caius's lap and just sat there, wide-eyed. Carlisle and Esme stared at me with shocked, but pain filled eyes. Emmett wasn't looking at me, but Caius as if he wasn't sure whether he should burst out laughing or beat his head in. Rosalie just stared at me with furious golden eyes burning into me. I quickly averted my gaze from the beautiful blond vampire and looked at Alice and Jasper. Jasper stood in front of Alice protectively, watching me with narrowed eyes while his fragile-looking wife peered at me from behind his shoulder. She looked almost upset as she looked at me. Finally, I risked a look at Edward. Just as I had suspected, he was livid. He stood next to Carlisle, shaking in anger as he glared at Caius and me.

"Welcome!" Aro greeted them, a fake smile plastered across his face. Or maybe he was actually happy that he was causing me personal pain and distress. The image of Edward had me nearly doubled over in Caius's lap, hugging myself.

"Bella?" Carlisle asked, causing me to look up.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. It was full of nothing but concern. "You're alive? We assumed they'd killed you."

At this, I looked at Edward. He was glowering at the floor, ignoring me. "No… They wouldn't. I mean… Well… don't take this the wrong way or anything, but… Caius and I are mates."

"No!" Edward roared, his head snapping up and looking at me. He darted up to me before anyone could move and got on his knees before me. "Bella, I love you. Please, we're mates. They've brainwashed you! You don't belong to him. I love you, and you love me, like it always has been."

Caius picked me up and moved me away from Edward before standing up to face him. My mate looked absolutely outraged as he stared down my former boyfriend. "If you _ever_ touch her again, I will murder you, you pathetic bastard! You aren't even worthy to spit on the ground she's walked on! My Isabella will be a Volturi Queen and she will live here with me, and I will worship her, and love her, and care for her every day of my existence. I will also kill anyone who tries to harm her! I don't care who they are, but they'll be killed if they lay a hand on my mate."

If I hadn't been so terrified, I would have burst into tears of happiness at Caius's touching words. I looked from Edward to my mate before starting toward them warily. Caius saw my hesitance and turned toward me, waving one arm in welcome. I quickly went to his side and smiled a little as he snaked on muscular arm around my waist. He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine before pulling away, smiling like a giddy schoolboy at the Cullens' expressions.

"Caius, Isabella, why don't you show our guests to their rooms?" Aro asked, smiling.

If I had been a vampire and I didn't know any better, I would have attacked Aro. By the look Caius gave his brother a cold look, and I knew he felt the exact same way I did. I was happy to see Alice and the others again, but Edward could have stayed at home. Why on earth would Aro invite my ex-boyfriend to my wedding?

"Of course," I answered after a moment, managing to give the Cullens a weak smile. "Caius, darling," I murmured, looking toward him and adding "darling" to piss Edward off. "Why don't you lead the way?"

Caius nodded and led the way behind the throne chairs and down a narrow hallway that was so only large enough for us to walk single file down it. I heard the Cullens whispering to each other and knew that Caius could very well hear what they were saying. It was times like this that I wished I had vampire hearing.

"So, Bella," Esme said behind me. I stood behind Caius and Carlisle was directly behind me with Esme following him. "I see that you've… adjusted to life here. I hope you're… enjoying yourself."

I smiled and glanced over my shoulder at her. At least she was trying to be civil. She was like my second mother and I knew she would try to be happy for me. "Yes, I am actually. At first I had my doubts, but after Caius and I realized that we were meant to be, it's been smooth sailing. I love it here, but I miss you all terribly."

"We miss you too, Bella," Carlisle said. "You're always welcome to visit us, even if you and Edward aren't a couple anymore, you will always be a part of this family."

I stopped and turned to face Carlisle. He smiled kindly at me, and I flung myself into his arms and hugged him. "Thank you." His words made me feel warm inside. I knew that even if I stayed with the Volturi that I could always count on them and call them my family.

He hugged me back gently until Caius called for us from farther up the narrow passage way. I ran to catch up to him, but the Cullens easily kept up with me just by walking. Damn vampires and their speed. When we reached my mate, I saw that the hallway spread out so we all weren't walking in a line and being so confined. Caius pulled me to his side the first chance he got and wrapped his arm around me. I heard a growl from the back of the group, but Caius just smiled.

"Carlisle, Esme, you two will be staying on the first on the left. Alice and Jasper will be on the first on the right. Emmett, Rosalie, you two will be on the second on the left, and Edward, you will be on the second on the right. If you need anything, call for Jane, Alec, Felix, or Demetri," Caius said, turning to leave and tugging me along with him.

"Bella, can we talk to you a while?" Alice called behind me.

I turned around to face her and then looked at Caius for permission. He didn't look happy, but shrugged. "It's up to you," he muttered.

Smiling, I hugged Caius and kissed his lips softly. "I won't be long, baby," I murmured between his lips. He kissed me back lovingly, wrapping his arms around my waist. I tried to pull away, but he held me in an iron-tight grip. He pulled away and moved his lips along my jawline. "Caius…" I whispered, looking at the Cullens feeling the blood rush to my face.

He sighed and pulled away. "I know." He kissed my head and took a step back. "If you need me, yell, okay?" With that, he darted off down the hallway, leaving me with the Cullens.

"So, Bella," Alice said, taking a few steps toward me.

I smiled at her and walked over, pulling her into my arms. "Alice, I've missed you so much," I told her truthfully. "You're like my sister. Everyone here is a part of my family."

Alice smiled widely and pulled away. "I've missed you too, Bella, or do you go by Isabella now?"

I shrugged. "I don't really care. They just started calling me Isabella, and I didn't really mind."

"So, I'm guessing that you and Caius are the couple getting married," Carlisle guessed, smiling at me weakly. I could see the pain in his eyes, and I knew that he was upset that I was marrying the normally vicious Volturi king.

I nodded. "Yes… The wedding is a month from now… Jane, Heidi, Renata and Sulpicia are planning it."

"Ooh!" Alice squealed. "Can I help? Oh please, oh please, oh please let me help, Bella! Please? At least let me help you with your dress!"

Looking down, I shrugged. "I don't know. I don't really mind, but I'll have to ask Caius in the others if it's okay."

"Listen to yourself, Bella!" Edward snarled, pushing his way through his family so he stood in front of me. "You have to _ask_ your own fiancé if you're best friend can help you with your wedding! He's controlling you, Bella! They've all brainwashed you! I know that my Bella is in there somewhere. We can get out of here, and I can make you happy!"

I backed away from him. "Edward, stop it. You left me, remember?"

He sighed and nodded. "I know I did, Bella. The only reason I did was because I wanted to protect you! I did it so you could have a chance a normal, happy, human life. I'm sorry I caused you pain, but I love you! I love you so much, Bella, and I need you."

"Stay away from me," I growled.

Edward grasped my shoulders and shook me. "I can't. I don't know what they've done to you but—"

"They haven't done anything to me! And get your hands off me!" I snarled, trying to break away from him, but he was too strong.

He glared at me and tightened his grip. "Ow… Edward… That… that hurts," I half whimpered.

"Edward, stop!" Carlisle said, stepping up beside him.

A moment later, Edward was thrown through the wall and Caius was beside me. Edward leapt to his feet, hissing like a cobra while Caius crouched before me like a lion ready to spring. I rested a hand on my mate's shoulder. "Caius…" I whispered. He immediately rose to his feet and pulled me into his arms. "Shh, it's okay, baby. He won't hurt you anymore. Are you alright, darling?"

I nodded, resting my head on his chest. "I'm… I'm okay…" It was a half lie. I was trembling in his arms and I knew he could feel it.

"Shh, it's okay," he soothed, rubbing my back. "It's okay."

The Cullens were staring at us as Caius allowed his soft side to show. I heard Edward growling from nearby, but ignored him. I felt safe in Caius's arms; invincible. As long as we were together, I felt as if we would could conquer the world. And who knows, maybe that was in Caius's plans for the future.

"Bella, I actually wanted to—" Jasper began but was cut off by my mate's snarl.

"Let her be right now!" he hissed. His red eyes were blazing with fury as he glared at the golden-eyed vampire.

"No, no, it's okay," I assured Caius. "Jasper's okay. He did nothing to hurt me," I lied, trying not to remember the whole birthday party disaster. I knew that the rest of the Cullens were thinking about it too just by their facial expressions.

Caius looked suspicious, but nodded at Jasper to proceed. "We spotted Victoria in the area," he said nervously. "She was by your house… Charlie wasn't harmed, but I fear that she might go after him."

The blood drained from my face. As selfish as it sounds, I hadn't thought of Charlie ever since I came to Volterra. My heart broke at the thought of my father alone in the house with no idea where his daughter is and whether or not she was even alive or not. "Oh my god… Charlie…" I whispered, feeling the tears brim in my eyes. "This is all my fault! What if she does hurt him?"

"Who's Charlie and who's Victoria?" Caius asked, looking at me warily.

"Charlie is my father and Victoria is this redheaded bitch that's trying to kill me because Edward killed her mate, James because James was trying to kill me… Now Victoria wants to kill me to even the score," I explained. I felt lightheaded and sick to my stomach all at once. Would Victoria still come after me even if I wasn't Edward's true mate? Or would she still try to kill me even if I was with the Volturi?

Caius snarled. When Caius snarled it was a feral, terrifying sound that made me shiver, but turned me on at the same time. The fear melted away. I knew that he would protect me. I knew that I could trust him with anything. "I'll send Demetri, Felix and Jane after her. They'll make short work of her."

"That's not the worst part," Jasper murmured sadly, looking at us. "She's created an army to attack us… I don't think she knows that Bella… is no longer with us… But she's trying to attack, and destroy our coven."

I looked at the floor, my eyes burning as the tears threatened to fall. Again, this was all my fault. The Cullens could be destroyed because of me! I was a monster; an abomination that did nothing but hurt everyone she comes in contact with. I thought of my heartbroken father, and my best friend, Jacob Black… Does he even remember me? Does he miss me? The hole in my heart that Edward and inflicted and Jacob had begun to stitch, and Caius healed began to reopen at the thought of Jacob. I missed him so much…

"Well… then I'll send more guards to destroy them," Caius said simply.

"I don't want anyone to risk their lives for me," I whispered, looking up at Caius. "No one should have to die because of me. I'm not w—"

He cut me off by putting a finger to my lips. "Don't say it, Isabella. You are worth it. Don't worry, _cara mia,_" he whispered. "The Volturi has handled newborn armies before. It won't be any different."

"Newborn?" I inquired, looking up at him. "You mean like… new vampires?"

Caius opened his mouth to answer, but Carlisle beat him to it. "Yes. A newborn is a vampire in the first few months after its change. It's when they're at their strongest, and most uncontrollable. Their thirst is overwhelming and they do anything they can to sustain it."

"Something to look forward to," Emmett added, smirking at me.

I looked down sadly. Would I really turn into a monster like the ones Carlisle described? Then again I suppose that every vampire that stood before me went through it, and so would I. It was difficult to imagine the Cullens—my family—with blood-red eyes ready to attack me to stop the burning in their throats. It was easier to imagine Caius being a newborn, but the thought of him thinking of me as food made me shudder.

"It's alright, Isabella," Caius assured me. "You'll be well-monitored by everyone in the castle during your newborn phase. We won't let you do anything you'll regret. I'll take care of you."

Smiling at his words, I kissed his cheek. The Cullens stared at us like we were two aliens that just landed on Earth from Mars, but I didn't care. They would have to get over it. I loved Caius, and Caius loved me. "So, I'm sorry about your room," I said, glancing toward the gaping hole in the wall that Caius had thrown Edward through, and then at Carlisle and Esme. "You can pick another."

They both nodded and then looked at the others. "Well… it was nice seeing you again, Bella," Esme told me, smiling warmly. "Come back any time if you want. I should think that we'll be seeing you a lot over the next few weeks."

I smiled and nodded. "Yeah… I guess you will…"

* * *

A/N: Well... THe Cullens are here... Edward's a bitch... Oh! And Victoria's back! Fun. Please review! :D


	6. Chapter 6: Complication

_Salvation - Chapter 6_

_Thanks so much for all the fantastic reviews! Love you all in a non-creepy way as I've said before. I'm sorry this chapter kind of... sucks. I pumped it out in one day... That's like a record for me. I don't really like this one. I'm sorry it's short and I'm sorry it's kind of sad. I also now realize that Caius is bipolar. XD Oh well. _

_Stephenie Meyer owns Twilight, I just love torturing her creations. XD_

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**6. Complication**

Aro was nowhere near happy when we told him about the Victoria issue. Despite his cheerful and patient façade, when we told him of the new threat, he lost his temper and threw a fit. He began yelling in another language that I couldn't identify, and by his facial expressions, I would have guessed that he was swearing.

After he had calmed down, he said that our wedding and my presentation would have to be postponed until Victoria and her army were taken care of. Caius didn't seem at all upset by this, and neither did I. In fact, I was more than thrilled that I would have a few more weeks of being a bachelorette. Not to mention that I was so terrified that when it came to walking down the aisle that I would trip and fall. Great, more time for me to practice walking in heals. Fun.

Aro gathered Marcus, Jane, Alec, Felix, Demetri, Caius, and I in his office to discuss what to do about the current situation. "We could handle it," Felix said. "Just let us bring Afton and Santiago along with us, and we'll manage no problem."

Jane glared at the ground. "We would be fine, but this is the Cullens' problem! I don't see why we have to get involved."

Caius growled at the young girl. "That bitch created that army to hunt and kill Isabella. She wants my mate dead, and since my mate is involved, so are we!" he hissed.

Aro nodded in agreement. "Caius is right. Isabella is a part of this coven, and this family now, and we protect our family. Victoria will pay a high price for her ambitious behavior."

"I'm sure that she doesn't know that Isabella is the mate of Caius… If she did, I doubt she would even attempt this," Marcus muttered, shaking his head. "I'm not even sure she knows that Isabella and the Cullen boy aren't even in a relationship any longer… However, the Cullens did kill her mate, and she has a right to take revenge."

"Yes," Caius allowed, looking at his brother. "But when she tries to kill my reason for existence—"

"I am in no way saying that we shouldn't act, Caius," the normally silent, brooding vampire interrupted. "All I am saying is that her desire for vengeance is justified."

"It doesn't matter what her motives are," Aro concluded with a sigh. "She and her army must be destroyed…"

"I want to help," my mate suddenly said. "I want to kill the one who threatens my mate."

Everyone looked at him with wide eyes. "But… master…" Demetri said, averting his gaze to the ground submissively. "The masters rarely leave the castle to fight in a trivial battle such as this."

"It is not trivial," Caius snarled. "I want her to know what happens when she messes with my Isabella."

I looked up at him, my jaw hanging open. "Caius, you can't go!" I said, staring at him in shock. "You can't! It's way too dangerous! You could get killed!"

Caius only chuckled at my reaction and kissed my head. "I've fought werewolves, love," he whispered. "I can manage a few wily newborns. Plus, I'll be able to rid the world of that monster who wants to hurt you."

I glared at him, and then looked away to the others in the room and let out a sigh. "Fine. If you're going, then I'm going!" I declared, folding my arms across my chest and gazing at him.

At this, he looked livid. "Absolutely not! It's way too dangerous!" he hissed.

Arching an eyebrow, I shifted my weight to one side. "Okay, so either it's going to be way too dangerous that I have to stay away, or it's going to be a piece of cake and no one will get hurt and I'll be fine. Which is it?"

He glared at me murderously. "It's dangerous for a pathetic, puny, little _human_ like yourself! If you weren't so helpless all the time, we wouldn't be in this mess, now would we?" he snarled.

His words stung me. I took a few steps away from him and looked down at the ground before back up at him. The hole in my chest returned and I wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry my eyes out. "Fine, then," I snapped. My eyes began to burn as I felt the tears rise. "If you really feel that way, then there's no reason to postpone the wedding at all! It's off! I'm done!"

The tears were already falling as I pushed Felix out of the way and ran out the door, leaving them all staring at me as I left.

* * *

I ran back to my chambers and slammed the door behind me before collapsing on the bed, sobbing. I pulled a pillow over my head and curled up into a little ball. It felt as if Caius had torn out my heart and stomped on it in front of everyone. A part of me wished that Victoria would find me and just end my misery. If I was gone, life would be so much easier for everyone.

Sniffling, I sat up and looked around the room for a pen and a piece of paper. Finally, I found some in an old desk that sat in the corner. Taking a deep and unsteady breath, I began scribbling out a message, the ink blurring where my tears had stained the paper already.

_To Whoever Finds This,_

_My name is Isabella Swan. You might not know me, but if you find this note, bring it to Caius Volturi or one of the Masters. I'm leaving the castle. Forever. You'll never see me again, and I'll never bother anyone! I guessed that if I never even came here, everyone's lives would be so much easier. I'm sorry I'm only a human. I'm sorry I'm pathetic and I can't do anything. I'm sorry I'm such a burden, but you won't have to deal with me anymore. And don't worry—I won't tell your secret. You won't have to worry about it very long anyways. By the time anyone reads this, I'll be long gone and on my way to turn myself in to Victoria so she'll end my misery. Without Caius I'm nothing. He might not feel the same way… He might not love me the way I love him, but I… I can't do this anymore. I can't be yelled at. Good-bye. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused._

_-Bella_

After leaving my note on the pillow, I went to the closet and found an old suitcase collecting dust on the floor. I pulled it out and dusted it off before opening it, and piling clothes inside. I felt guilty for stealing the clothes that Jane and Heidi had bought me, so I left some money on the table with another note saying that this was all I could give to repay for the clothes I took.

I left the room and went to the closest exit I knew, and left. I couldn't believe it was that easy to get past probably eighty-something vampires with super speed and super strength and actually escape! Just when I thought I was in the clear, though, I was looking over my shoulder and bumped into something cold and hard. I gulped and looked up to see who I'd ran into.

To my surprise, Carlisle stood there, looking down at me with worried golden eyes. "Bella, child, what's wrong?" he asked gently.

I burst into another fit of tears and hugged him tightly. "Oh… Carlisle… Caius… Caius hates me," I whimpered.

He rubbed my back soothingly. "What happened?"

"Well… we were talking about what to do with Victoria and… and… he… he called me a pathetic little human!" I sobbed. "So I called off the wedding and I'm leaving."

Carlisle looked at me, surprised. "Where were you planning on going?"

"I don't know… back to Forks probably…" I said, lying.

Carlisle narrowed his eyes. I was a horrible liar, and he knew it. "I was just about to tell Aro that we were going to go back to take care of the newborn situation actually… maybe you could come with us."

"You mean like… you would kidnap me?" I asked, looking up at him warily.

He smiled at my choice of words, but nodded. "In a way… If that's what you want."

I looked down, thinking. If I went with the Cullens, maybe I would have a chance of getting my old life back… I could see Charlie and Jacob… but if I went with them, Caius would know, and he would be furious… He might even try to hurt them… The last thing I wanted to do was be a burden to anyone, or cause any problems. Finally, I shook my head sadly. "I'm sorry, Carlisle, but no. They'll know that you took me, and then they'll go after you… I don't want anyone to get hurt for my sake."

Carlisle sighed weakly and nodded. "If that's what you want…" he murmured. He pulled me into a hug and held me to his chest gently. I hugged him back, sighing as my tears stained his shirt. "You'll always be a part of my family Bella. You're like a daughter to me, don't forget that."

"Thank you, Carlisle," I whispered, pulling away. "And… I'm sorry I ruined your shirt."

He laughed a little, and shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Alice is a miracle-worker when it comes to clothes… Good luck, Bella."

I nodded before sliding past him and onto the streets of Volterra. I couldn't help but smile as I thought of Jacob while I hijacked a car and started on my way to Florence, Italy. Jacob was the one who graciously taught me how to do so. I noticed that whoever owned the car, had left their cell phone in one of the cup holders. I smiled as I picked it up and dialed Jacob Black's number.

"Hello?" Jacob's father, Billy answered.

"Billy? This is Bella," I said nervously. He would undoubtedly tell Charlie about this.

"Bella?" he gasped. "You're alive? Where are you? What happened? Charlie's been worried sick! Did those blood-suckers hurt you? Did they change you?"

"No, no, I'm fine, Billy," I assured him slowly. "And I'm still human… We had some… problems… The Cullens are in Italy, and so am I. I'm on my way home. Is Jacob there?"

Billy sighed, I could just imagine him shaking his head in distress. "No, he's not. I'm sorry. He's going to be devastated that he missed your call. He's been going crazy with worry over you, Bella. He really misses you."

"Tell him that I miss him too," I whispered. "Tell him that I'll be home in a few days and I can't wait to see him. Oh, and Billy? Tell my dad that I'm really sorry for everything and I'll be home as soon as I can."

"I will, Bella," he promised.

"Okay. I gotta go. Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up, feeling the tears come again. I accelerated the car and sped off toward the airport. The thought of Jacob and Charlie made me happy, but the thought of leaving Caius behind, made my entire body ache for him. Marcus couldn't be right. Caius couldn't be my mate… I mean… If he was, how could he possibly yell at me like that, and treat me that way?

The entire ride to Florence, I was wiping tears away as I thought of my former master.

* * *

**Caius POV**

Isabella stormed out of the room, leaving us all standing there, speechless. I put my hands over my face, feeling nothing but regret for the horrible things I had said to her. How could I do this to her? How could I hurt my Isabella? _Caius, you idiot!_

"Dammit, Caius," I heard Marcus mutter from his seat at Aro's desk. "You have just complicated matters further!"

"What is it?" Aro inquired curiously. Of course my personal troubles would seem like a game to him—a soap opera that wasn't actually occurring in front of his face.

"Isabella… Isabella has already let go, but Caius is trying to difficult to hang on. She has given up on him," Marcus murmured.

Oh, how I just love being referred to in third person. But it was his next words that made my heart crack. _"She has given up on him."_

"Will she ever forgive me?" I asked, unable to keep the worry from my voice.

Marcus shrugged. "I am no Alice, Caius… But her bond with you has been broken. Her bond was fragile to begin with… She's been hurt so much in the past…"

I sighed. "What can I do?" I asked, my voice cracking. Normally, I would have died if the guard saw me like this, but at that moment, I didn't care. I could only think about losing my lovely Isabella.

"Go talk to her, Caius," Marcus said.

Nodding determinedly, I went to the door, ignoring the guards as they parted to let me through. Even though I wanted to dash to Isabella's quarters immediately, I forced myself to walk at a human pace. I needed to take deep breaths and clear my head before talking to her. I was still shocked at myself for the way I spoke to her. How could I say such things?

When I reached her room, I could smell her delicious scent, and the salty tang of tears. I took a deep breath and opened the door to find the room empty. "Isabella?" I called, warily, looking around for any signs of life. I looked all over, but she was nowhere to be found. That's when I spotted the note on her pillow.

I picked it up gently and unfolded the parchment. As I read the note, my heart sank. If I could've cried, I probably would have. She left me… My Isabella was gone… If it had been under any other circumstances, I would have been furious and I would have charged after her and dragged her home, but at that moment, I could do nothing. I fell to my knees and just held the note to my chest, breathing in my Isabella's scent for what could be the last time.

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A/N: You know, after going back through this chapter, I've come to a conclusion: I think that Caius is bipolar... Well this Caius at least. XD

I love reviews so please leave me some! Thank you for reading and I apologize because I know that this chapter sucked! DX


	7. Chapter 7: Family

_Salvation - Chapter 7_

_This is a long one! :) Hope you like it. We will be seeing more of Jacob and more of the pack in later chapters, just a warning. :)_

_I do not own Twilight in anyway - the series belongs to Ms. Meyer._

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**7. Family**

When I got to Seattle, I rented a car and drove to Forks, going several miles per hour under the speed limit. I wanted to think about what I was going to say to both Jacob and my father when I finally met them. Jacob would be easy—I could give him the full story, graciously skipping around most of the Caius parts—but my father would be much harder. What could I possibly say to him that he would even believe?

I was going through various excuses over and over again in my head. The only thing that I might have on my side was that my father would much rather look at the surface of the problem than delve too deep into the true meaning. Still, I kept thinking and when I found myself pulling into the Black's driveway, I couldn't help but sigh. All that way and I still didn't have a good story for him. I opened my door and slid out of the truck. Maybe Jacob would help me come up with something believable.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, the front door of the house slammed open and Jacob came running toward me. "Bella!" he laughed. As always, my werewolf was shirtless and just wearing a pair of blue jeans cut off around the knee. The shorts hung low on his hips, and for a moment, with the way he was running, I thought they would fall off. Thank God they didn't. He finally reached me, and picked me up in his arms. Laughing like a lunatic, he swung me around, hugging me tightly to his chest.

"Jacob…" I giggled. He set me back down and I stumbled a little bit, dizzy from the spinning.

"God, Bella," he breathed. His voice sounded more relieved than angry, and a big smile was plastered across his face. "Where the hell have you been? Everyone's been so worried!"

I took a deep breath and averted my gaze to the ground. "About that, Jacob… we need to talk," I murmured sadly.

His eyes clouded over with pain, but he nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "We do. Want to go down to the beach? We can talk on the way there."

Smiling, I nodded weakly. "Let's go. I haven't been down there in ages it feels like."

His smile returned and he jogged a couple steps ahead, and then turned around to face me. He proceeded to walk backwards, talking to me. "So, your father has been worried sick. What are you going to tell him? You were kidnapped by a bunch of vampires? Ha, that would be hilarious to see the look on his face. He'd probably send you off to a mental institution!"

I forced a smile and jammed my fists in the pockets of my sweatshirt jacket. "Yeah, he might… But seriously, Jake, I need you help in figuring out a cover story."

"Hey give me a few minutes to enjoy that fact that you're still human, will you?" he said, smiling. He kept walking backwards until he tripped over a fallen tree limb and fell on his ass in the mud.

For the first time in I don't know how long, I laughed. I actually _laughed._ I stood there, my hands clutching my stomach and my head thrown back, howling. Tears started to trickle from my eyes I laughed so hard. Jacob stood up and brushed the mud off the back of his shorts. "I'm glad you find this funny," he muttered. There was an edge to his voice, but as he gazed at me having a fit of hysterics, he started laughing too.

When we had both calmed down, we continued our walk to the beach talking about Jacob and how he had been doing with the pack. He answered all my questions patiently, but when he finally reached that fallen tree on the beach where Jacob had first told me about the "cold ones", we both stopped speaking. "Bella, will you tell me what happened?" he asked. His voice was barely above a whisper. I knew he was dreading the answer.

I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I don't think you'll like it, Jacob," I murmured. "But here it goes…" I told him about going to save Edward. I told him about the Volturi and about them wanting to keep me to join their guard. I even told him about Caius and how Marcus claimed that we were supposed to be mates. Jacob growled at this, of course, but remained silent as I told him about the wedding, the Cullens, and Victoria. Lastly, I told him about the fight Caius and I had, and how I left. "I doubt he even cares that I left," I muttered, wiping a tear away that had leaked from my eye.

Jacob wrapped one warm, comforting arm around my shoulders. "Don't worry about it… Maybe they were wrong—maybe you two aren't mates… There are other fish in the sea, Bells."

"No… Caius and I are meant to be together… He'll probably come for me soon," I said, feeling anger flare inside me. I wasn't about to let Jacob make a move on me because Caius was nowhere in sight. However, I couldn't help but feel that maybe he was right… If Caius really loved me, why would he treat me like that? _It's his nature, Bella. You know how he is,_ my subconscious reminded me.

"What if he doesn't?" Jacob pressed, breaking my train of thought. "You could move on and find someone else… Someone who would take care of you… I could do that, Bella. I can take care of you. I can give you more than any blood-sucker can." He took my hand in his and pressed it against his chest. "Feel that? Flesh, blood, and warmth… I am human, Bella. Can he give you pleasure? Can he give you children? No. I bet he can't even kiss you without almost killing you, Bella."

I snapped at that. "He can kiss me, Jacob! And believe me: he can give me pleasure too! He's given me more pleasure than Edward ever did!" I growled.

Jacob stared at me for a moment, bewildered, but then my words sunk in. "You mean… you mean you've…?" He didn't need to finish his question. I knew what he would ask before he spoke it, and I knew that he understood my words. Jacob began trembling with rage and stood up immediately from his place beside me on the fallen tree. "That fucking leech!" he hissed through gritted teeth. "I hope he comes here! I hope he comes here so I can kill him!"

"Jacob, no!" I gasped, rising to my own feet and stalking toward him. I wasn't thinking about that time when I slapped Paul. I wasn't thinking of the time Jacob took me to Sam's house and I met Emily who was permanently scarred from Sam and his uncontrollable rage. I wasn't thinking of how unsteady werewolves were… I should have been. The only thing I could think of was Caius getting ripped to shreds by the pack. Jacob would not harm him. Ever.

At my touch, he let out a roar and suddenly, Jacob was replaced by a huge russet-brown wolf. During the change, he must have twisted around toward me; all I saw was his baseball-sized eyes and his foot-long muzzle full of sharp teeth coming at me. I stumbled backward and tripped over our fallen tree. His claws seemed to reach for me, and his mighty paws pinned me to the ground. I couldn't see Jacob anymore—just the animal inside him. There was no remorse in his chocolate-brown eyes, only rage and hatred for the man I loved. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the pain, but it didn't come. The weight of his paws was lifted from my shoulders. An angry snarl caused me to open my eyes. What I saw made me gasp.

Jacob and Caius stood across from each other, both growling. Caius was crouched like a lion prepared to spring at the wolf before him, his lips curled back in an animalistic snarl. "Stay away from my mate!" Caius shouted, his entire being trembling with rage like Jacob's had been. More cloaked figures emerged from the trees behind Caius. The V-shaped pendants around their necks told me that they were members of the guard that came with Caius to destroy Victoria and her newborns.

Against my better judgment, I pushed myself to my feet and started toward them. Jacob would call the rest of the pack and the Volturi wouldn't stand a chance. "Stop! Stop it!" I shouted, running toward them at a pathetically slow human pace. Caius was right—I was a pathetic human. "Don't fight. I came here to die anyway," I said, shooting a glare at Caius. Pain flashed in his eyes, but I wasn't done with him yet.

That pain seemed to spur my anger with him. Ignoring Jacob completely, I turned to face Caius, feeling my eyes burn with the tears as they threatened to fall. "And just who do you think you are coming here and saving me?! You're the one who called me a pathetic human, so why should you even care whether I get killed by some stupid, teenage, hormone-ruled werewolf?!"

Caius rose from his crouch and faced me. I expected to see fury, but I only saw pure sadness in his crimson eyes. "Isabella…" he whispered. I had a feeling that if he spoke any louder, his voice would have cracked. "Isabella… I am begging you… please forgive me. What I said to you in the castle was one of the most idiotic things I've ever uttered. Please, Isabella… I love you, and I still want to marry you—" Jacob snarled particularly loudly at this. "—I need you, Isabella. I can't say I can only say I'm sorry so many times, and even if I said it every moment for the rest of my life, it still wouldn't amount to how sorry I truly am."

His words made the hole that had been eating away at my heart moment by moment ache. I wanted to be angry with him. I wanted to let him experience the wrath that would put werewolves to shame, but I just couldn't. His apology softened my heart to a point where I just couldn't work up any more rage. "Caius…" I whispered.

He must have heard the uncertainty in my voice, for he got down on his knees before me and took my hand in his. "Isabella, I am on knees before you in front of half the guard. Please, my love… Please forgive me."

I looked into his eyes and saw the love and distress that were shown there. He seemed so genuine… but how could I believe him? I believed Edward Cullen when he told me he loved me… I believed him every moment before that fateful party… I put too much faith and trust into it, and in turn I got my heart broken… I couldn't go through that again. I would not be taken advantage of anymore.

_Bella, you idiot! Caius is not taking advantage of you. Would he really get on his knees in front of half of the guard if he wasn't sincere? You love him, Bella. He loves you. Get over it, already_ my subconscious growled at me. I sighed. It was right. Nothing that he could say would change my feelings for him. I would always love him… I couldn't explain why, but I knew I always would. Gently, I pulled him to his feet once more and rested one hand on his cheek. "You're forgiven," I whispered.

He smiled instantly and pulled me into his arms. Without warning, his crushed my lips to his and rested his hands on the small of my back. The feeling of his lips on mine ignited a fire between my legs. God, how could kissing a man feel so right? I let out a soft moan, but that only allowed his tongue to slip into my mouth and explore, even though he knew every inch of it by now. We continued with our passionate little reunion until a certain bastard interrupted us.

"Would you stop sucking out all of her saliva already, you pervert?" Jacob growled, stalking out of the bushes wearing another pair of shorts, these ones khakis. I hadn't even seen him leave, then again I was kind of distracted.

Caius pulled away and snarled. "You!" he let go of me and stalked over to him until they were less than a foot away from one another. "You could have killed her!"

Jacob growled. "I didn't take advantage of her broken heart and steal her virginity, and then treat her like dirt!" he shot back dangerously.

"Jacob, stop," I warned. He had no idea who he was speaking to, or what the vampire that stood before him was capable of. "You do not want to get into a fight with the Volturi, Jake. Trust me. They will kill you and the pack easily."

Jacob just glared at me. "I doubt that."

I just shook my head. "You don't understand, Jake. I've seen them fight werewolves before—real werewolves. You know? The kind that phase during the full moon and attack people. Not to mention they're more talented than probably any vampires you've met. You wouldn't stand a chance."

He snorted and jerked his head up arrogantly at Caius. "I bet I could take Blondie here."

Hisses sounded from the cloaked figures, but Caius's face remained impassive. I gave Jacob my best death glare. He winced so I guessed watching Caius do it so much was paying off. "Jacob—"

Caius touched my arm gently. "No, it's okay, Isabella. If it's a fight the boy wants, it's a fight he shall get."

My eyes widened, but he just smiled. He leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I won't kill him unless you want me to."

"Don't hurt him," I whispered back, looking at Jacob. The werewolf was grinning triumphantly as if he'd just won a new car. I wanted to wipe that grin off his face. "On second thought, maybe a little," I told Caius, smirking at Jacob evilly.

Caius chuckled and kissed my forehead. "It'll be easy. I promise. He's not even a real werewolf—just a shape-shifter," he said.

"Shape-shifter?" I inquired curiously, watching him closely.

He turned around and signaled for one of the guards to come over. Felix darted to his side immediately and stared straight ahead as Caius slipped off his other robes. "Yes, a shape-shifter. Aro ran some studies on a similar species about a decade ago. They can change form whenever they want, but into the animal of their choice. These ones have just chosen to be wolves when they phase."

Finally, in a black button-down shirt and black dress pants to match, Caius turned to face Jacob, smirking. "Alright dog," he spat. Caius made "dog" sound like a dirty word with the way he said it. "Let's see what you got." He crouched like before, his face calm as if he was perfectly at ease.

Jacob went back into the bushes and returned in his wolf form. He gave Caius a wolfy-grin that made me stiffen. Something was wrong. A moment later, more wolves appeared from the trees, their lips curled back exposing their sharp teeth. The pack had arrived, and they were ready to attack. "No!" I shrieked as more and more wolves filed out of the trees. There were probably about twenty when they stopped appearing.

A large black wolf came forward and stepped up beside Jacob. I recognized him and ran over. Jacob might be hard to convince, but Sam would be easier. "Sam, don't hurt them!" I said, reaching Caius's side. "They won't hurt the tribe. They're just here for me. I'll go with them and we'll leave."

Caius only growled at Sam, but rose to his feet once more. He shot a glance at me before nodding in agreement. "We won't harm the people of Forks." That was a wise decision on his part. I didn't know how strong the pack was, but by their numbers, they seemed formidable. "We are only here to retrieve Bella and kill a vampire and her army."

Sam's ears pricked up at that. He looked at Jacob questioningly. The russet-furred wolf nodded and they both disappeared into the trees. A moment later, they both returned in their human forms. Sam went up to Caius and watched him warily. "What vampire and what army?" he asked. His voice sounded commanding, but respectful. Maybe Sam could just sense that Caius was not to be messed with. The Volturi certainly had a way of making their power radiate off them, and Caius particularly had a talent in giving the "fuck off" vibe. However, Sam was worthy of his position just as much as Caius was—he knew his power, but he didn't abuse it either. Jacob stood to his left, but somewhat beside him. He wasn't paying attention to the conversation, but was instead watching me.

"A vampire named Victoria, perhaps you've seen her around?" Caius suggested. When he didn't receive an answer, he continued. "She is creating an army to destroy the Cullens. Not to mention she is running a very conspicuous operation in Seattle; her work is very sloppy and not thought out very well."

Jacob snorted and shook his head. "If she's trying to destroy the Cullens, why not let them? Good riddance if you ask me."

"Silence, Jacob!" Sam snapped, his eyes blazing. He then turned back to Caius, appearing to be annoyed. "Excuse him, please. As you can see I tend to slack on discipline with my pack-mates and some of them—" he shot another deathly glare at Jacob "—forget that in situations such as these, it is not their place to voice their thoughts."

Caius nodded and snaked one arm around my waist. He pulled me close to him making Jacob growl. I just smiled at Jacob and rested my head on Caius's chest. A sound rumbled deep in Caius's chest that sounded like a purr. I looked up at him questioningly, but he was still looking at Sam. "Well, the reason why we must stop this vampire and her hoard of newborns is because the army itself has been created to destroy the Cullens, however, the vampire herself is after my Isabella."

Jacob looked at me wide-eyed. "They're after Bella?"

"That's what he just said you dumbass," I muttered, earning another strange purr from Caius. Apparently my snapping at Jacob and insulting the werewolf pleased him.

"Yes. Edward killed the vampire's mate to protect Bella about a year ago, and now she wants revenge," Caius explained.

"But Bella's not with Fuckward anymore," Jacob pointed out, eyeing me curiously. Did he think that I still loved Edward? I glared at him. If he thought I was using Caius to make Edward jealous, he was wrong. I longed to tell him so, but knew that it was not the time or place for such comments.

"Jacob, shut the fuck up," Sam snarled under his breath. "If this army is coming to Forks, we will handle it. We are the guardians of this town and we will protect the humans here with our lives."

Caius shook his head. "That will not be necessary. It is the Volturi's responsibility to control our own kind. We do this kind of thing for a living, alpha."

I was surprised at how civil Caius was being toward the werewolves… or shape-shifters I suppose. I didn't know if he was doing it for my sake or not, but I was glad they were having a conversation and not a fight. I shot a glance up at Caius, and he looked down at me. That playful, loving smirk twitched on his lips for a moment before disappearing. "We can take it from here," he assured them.

Sam nodded and went to turn away, but Jacob grabbed his arm. He looked at Sam expectantly, but the alpha groaned. "I don't see why you must ask it, Jacob, but go ahead."

Jacob smiled triumphantly once more and faced us. "If you are going to be out there fighting off this army, then don't you think someone should be protecting Bella?" he asked, his gaze landing on me.

"Oh, hell no, Jacob," I snarled between clenched teeth. I knew what he was going to suggest. Come hell or high water, I was not going to spend the rest of the day with Jacob babysitting me.

I didn't know if Caius guessed his question or not, but he just pulled me closer. "My Isabella will be perfectly safe. We brought extra guards to protect her during the fight. She will be well defended," he answered simply, planting a chaste kiss on the top of my head.

Jacob narrowed his eyes and folded his arms across his chest. He opened his mouth to say something, but Caius cut him off. "The Cullens will be returning to assist us as well. We are more than capable of protecting one human for a little while."

I winced at the word "human". It brought back memories that I would much rather sweep under the rug. Caius must have felt it and rubbed my back soothingly. I knew he felt remorseful for those words, but he could never take them back; he knew that as well as I did. I didn't want that short, angry conversation to be the divider between us. I felt like I was making a mountain out of a molehill, but at the same time, I couldn't get those words out of my mind, or erase the image of his red eyes being full of hatred… a hatred that was directed at me.

"The Cullens are returning?" Jacob growled. He was trembling again. Instinctively, I backed away so I stood partially behind Caius.

My mate let out a low, warning growl, but nodded. "Yes. They're going to help with the fight."

"Fantastic," Jacob muttered. "More parasites that we can't kill."

"Jacob!" Sam barked from the tree-line. "Come on. As long as they don't harm the people from Forks, they'll be fine here. Plus, the Cullens will make sure of it—they wouldn't dare break the treaty."

Jacob shot Caius one last death glare before running toward Sam and the rest of the pack. As they disappeared into the trees, the tension faded away. Caius turned to face me, smiling widely. "I'm glad to have you back," he admitted.

I couldn't help but smile back. "Um, Caius?" I asked, looking up at him through my lashes. There was one more person I needed to visit before I could go back to Volterra with him, and since we were going to get married, Caius might as well meet him too.

He took both of my hands in his and looked at me tentatively. "Yes, _mia amore_?"

"There's someone I want you to meet," I whispered. My heartbeat sped up dramatically. I wasn't sure how he would react to this, but if he loved me and was truly sorry about what happened before, he would do it.

Caius arched an eyebrow and waited expectantly.

"My father."

* * *

Caius was smart enough to have rented a car, so we pulled up to my father's house slowly. On the ride over, Caius had been completely silent and looked paler than usual. I wondered if it was truly possible that a vampire king could actually be afraid of a mere human like my father. I chuckled at the thought.

He shifted the car into park and we sat there for a moment. Neither of us seemed willing to get out of the car and face him. "He's going to be furious with me," I murmured, gazing at the white door with a mixture of longing and horror.

Caius only nodded. "What are we going to tell him?"

"How about I just needed to get away and I took a vacation to Italy and found a college there that would except me next year and I met you and we fell madly in love?" I offered. I didn't know if my dad would even believe that, but like I said before, my father would rather believe the lie than look into the truth.

He shrugged. "Better than what I could think of," he answered, sighing. He stared at the steering wheel and then shook his head. "Jesus… Believe it or not, I've never been in a situation where I had to meet a girl's father," I said, chuckling weakly at himself. "Athena and I met when we were both vampires and her father was already dead… I'm new to this, so forgive me if I stink at wooing the parents."

I let out a small laugh. "Well there's only one parent in this house lucky for you… but I think you'll be able to impress him. You wooed me after all," I pointed out, smiling at him.

He smiled back and sighed once more. "Well… into the fire we go," he muttered, opening his door.

I opened mine too and slid out of the black Mercedes he had rented. It reminded me of Carlisle's car, but I couldn't think about that right now. I walked over to stand beside him and took his hand carefully. We exchanged a glance before walking up onto the porch. I rang the doorbell and then took a step back, waiting for my father to appear in the doorway.

It took a matter of five seconds for the door to swing open. Charlie stood there, his hair mussed and his eyes still heavy with sleep. When he saw me, his eyes widened and he literally jumped out of the house and pulled me into his arms. "Bella!" he cried, swinging me around. "Oh my God, Bella…" He pulled away and touched my cheek gently with his hand. "I'm so glad you're safe…" His face suddenly hardened and he took his hand away. "Where the hell have you been, anyway?! Do you have any idea how worried I've been?!"

Looking down, I moved closer to Caius. "I'm really sorry, Dad… I just needed to get away, so I took a trip to Italy…" I continued to tell him the story I'd came up with in the car, holding Caius's hand.

When I had finished, Charlie looked at Caius with a hard expression. "Caius?" he murmured. To any normal human, Caius was probably the strangest name they'd ever heard.

Caius just nodded. "Yes, sir. Caius Volturi," he stated, and stretched out his hand. My dad shook it warily. "I'm going to my uncle's college over in Italy and I met Isabella there. My uncle, Marcus Volturi, owns the college and invited Isabella to start up next year."

Charlie nodded and dropped Caius's hand. "Yes, well… How old are you, son?"

"Twenty-four," he answered fluently. For never doing this before, he was pretty good at it.

"Hmm…" Charlie mused, stroking his mustache. He shifted his weight to one side and folded his arms across his chest. "You're… a little old to be dating an eighteen-year-old, don't you think?"

Caius shrugged. "Perhaps, but I was never one to believe that age was a measurement of maturity… Isabella is the smartest, wisest, kindest, prettiest, most beautiful woman I've ever met," he said smiling.

I faked a smile and Charlie and elbowed Caius in the ribs, probably giving myself a bruise. "Going a little overboard, don't you think?" I muttered between gritted teeth.

Caius just wrapped his arm around my waist once more. "I know that we may have just met, but I really care about her."

Charlie nodded. I could see that he was still trying to wrap his brain around everything. "Well… uh… why don't you two come in and stay for dinner then?"

I nodded happily. "That… that sounds great, dad…" I murmured. "I really am sorry about taking off and making you worry like that…"

He sighed and shook his head. "I'm still angry with you… but… I don't see how I could punish you since I guess you'll be living in Italy from now on… I'm just glad that you're safe, Bells."

We all went inside and sat at the small table in the kitchen. I had to admit that I was surprised—I was expected for my dad to scream at me and ground me for the rest of my life. Charlie ordered pizza and sat across from Caius, watching him with wary eyes. "Do… do you two have a place to stay tonight?" my father asked. I could hear the reluctance in his voice. My house didn't have a guest room so Caius would either have to sleep in my room or on the couch.

"I wouldn't mind another night in my room," I admitted. "What do you think, Caius? Do you think that would be okay if we could spend the night here?"

Caius smiled widely. "That's sounds great, Isabella."

My father sighed. "Super."

* * *

A/N: *lets out a breath* One of the longest chapters I've written... Oh well.

**I want to thank everyone that has reviewed. You are all amazing, and I love you all in a non-creepy way, as I've said before. I might not respond to all reviews, but I read and appreciate every single one! :) Please continue to R&R. **


	8. Chapter 8: Bonding with Charlie

_Salvation - Chapter 8_

_I do not own Twilight, the characters, or the places. Stephenie Meyer does._

_Warning - This chapter is somewhat of a filler, but I hope you find it a little amusing. The title really sums it all up, but it also shows more bonding between Bella and Caius, so we get to see more fluff. :) Hope you like it anyway. The next chapter will have more action, more vampires, more werwolves, and more drama! :)_

* * *

**8. Bonding with Charlie**

Charlie ordered pizza for dinner, and didn't object when Caius politely refused his offer. Charlie had gotten used to Edward not eating, so he didn't find it really strange the Caius didn't either. It was after dinner that I noticed that Caius's eyes had faced from red to black. I had nearly forgotten about his bright red eyes, but they must have been black when we got there since my father didn't say anything.

After dinner, Caius stepped outside and spoke quietly on the phone to someone—probably a Volturi guard—and then returned. I took him upstairs and gave him the tour of my room. He smiled as he looked around before sitting on my bed.

"So, what do you think?" I asked after a moment, taking the seat beside him.

He nodded. "I like it. It's very quaint."

I flashed him a smile before glancing at the clock. "It's only eight-thirty," I murmured kind of dejectedly. I knew that there was no way that Caius and I could have sex with my father just across the hall, but I wanted to at least curl up beside him and snuggle into his chest.

"We could make up some lie about jet-lag," Caius suggested with that wonderful smirk.

I smiled and nodded happily. Jumping off the bed, I went to my dresser and looked through it to see what clothes I had stored away. I remembered that Alice had bought me a piece of lingerie about a year ago, but I was having trouble finding it.

The rustling of clothes distracted me, and caused me to turn around to see Caius taking his shirt off. My jaw dropped. God, this man was gorgeous. He just smirked at my reaction. "I hope you don't mind, but I think I'll just 'sleep' in my boxers," he said, putting air-quotes around "sleep".

I forced my mouth to close and nodded. Now I _really_ needed to find that lingerie. If Caius was going to make me wet all night, then I was going to make him hard as well. Finally, at the bottom of my drawer, I found it; it was black, lacey, transparent and very fragile. Hiding it from Caius, I grabbed my robe off a hook on my wall and retreated to the bathroom.

It took me a good seven minutes to go to the bathroom, wash my hands and slip on the lingerie. Charlie knocked on the door just as I was finished getting dressed. I put my robe on to cover my surprise for Caius and opened the door. "Hey, dad," I said smiling weakly.

He looked at me in my robe and then at the ground. He had no idea that his daughter was scantily clothed underneath it. "You and Carlisle going to bed already?" he asked.

I blushed a bright shade of red. "His name is Caius dad," I corrected. "Carlisle is Edward's father! But, yes, jet-lag is kinda catching up. We're just really tired."

Charlie shook his head and put a hand on his forehead. "Right! Forgot. Okay… well… have fun… but not too much fun!" he added after a moment.

I the blood rush to my face once more and backed up into my room. "Okay, dad. I get it," I answered and quickly closed the door before he could see the bare-chested Caius that was sprawled across my purple bed.

Caius chuckled, causing me to turn around. He lay across the bed with his hands behind his head smirking at me. "I never did see the pajamas you picked out," he said.

Trying to copy his seductive smirk, I untied the robe and let it drop from my body. His eyes widened slightly at the sight, and I saw a tent building in his pants. I sauntered over to him, being sure to sway my hips in the process. When I was within a foot of the bed, he grabbed me by the hips and pulled me on top of him. "Isabella…" he breathed. "Why… are you doing this to me?"

I smiled down at him and ran one finger down the middle of his chest. The apex of my legs was positioned right over his crotch, and his boner was now poking me in a wonderful spot. "We can't, Caius. You know that. My father is in the next room," I reminded him.

He growled and bucked his hips against mine, desperate for friction. "Damn it…"

Smirking, I rolled off him and onto my space on the bed beside him. "Consider this your small punishment for what happened back in Volterra. You can punish me when we get back Volterra in the tower if you wish, but this is mine," I told him.

Caius glared down at me and shook his head. He averted his gaze to the ceiling looking annoyed. "How can someone so tiny be so annoying?" he wondered aloud.

I giggled and glanced at the mountain in his pants. I did feel slightly bad, but a part of me reminded myself that this was how I could get back at him for hurting me. Smiling to myself, I pulled the covers over us and rested my head on his chest. "Caius…" I whispered.

"Yes, my love?" he asked. His voice was low and husky. If I didn't know any better, I would have guess that it was a part of the darkness. Apparently even though he was pissed off that I got him hot and bothered for nothing, he still loved me.

"I'm really glad you're here… I don't like it when we fight," I admitted shyly. "It doesn't feel good."

He nodded and pressed his lips to my head. "I don't like it either, _cara mia,_" he whispered. "And I really am sorry about what I said. I never meant to hurt you. I was upset and angry, and… and you were the unfortunate person I lashed out at. I am so sorry, my love."

Even though he had apologized before in front of the entire guard, this apology in private beyond prying eyes meant more to me than the one he made earlier.

* * *

The next morning, I woke up to my father opening my bedroom door. I sat up wearily and saw him staring at me with wide eyes. For a moment, I gazed back at him feeling more than a little confused, and then I remembered: I was wearing the lingerie! I prayed to God that Caius still didn't have a boner and that it wasn't creating a tent in the bed sheets.

I risked a glance at my lover, and his eyes were closed, pretending to be asleep, and thankfully, no erection. Returning my eyes to my father, I saw the rage burning in his dark brown eyes. "Dad, don't!" I whispered. "Nothing happened, I swear!" I was about to tell him that I was still a virgin, but that was a flat out lie.

"Have you ever slept with him?" Charlie nearly growled. If looks could kill, Caius would be dead.

"No, dad," I lied. "You and mom raised me better than that. I'm not going to sleep with a guy I only met a few weeks ago!" I thought I heard a chuckle come from Caius's direction, but kicked him under the covers.

I was a terrible liar, and I knew it. My dad must have registered that I wasn't telling the truth, for he ran over and grabbed Caius's arm under the covers. Caius pretended to suddenly wake up and stared at Charlie like he was insane. "Did you touch my daughter?!" Charlie shouted.

"Dad, stop it!" I hissed shoving him away from Caius. "Even if I did, I'm eighteen and you can't control me! So you might as well get used to the fact that I might be sexually active with the man I love!"

Charlie snorted and shook his head. "Love," he scoffed. "Bella you're eighteen years old, you don't know what love is!"

"Oh, and I suppose you do?" I shot back. "You're full of s—crap dad! Just because you and mom got married at eighteen and got divorced a year later doesn't mean everyone is like that! You should be glad that I got over Edward and found someone who loves me for who I am!"

He gave Caius a death glare, but it was nothing compared to one my lover could produce. "Well right now I'm starting to like the Cullen boy better!"

I threw my hands up in the air in exasperation. "You are unbelievable! You would rather me be with someone who tore my heart out and pretty much stomped on it right and front of me just because he was all virtuous?" I was so close to giving my dad an "f-you" but restrained myself. He was still my father.

Of course, though, Charlie would never understand. He didn't know that Edward only wanted me for my blood and that I was just a game he played. He didn't know that Caius and I were mates and felt this strange, gravitational pull toward one another. He would never understand what it was like to be so completely, unconditionally and irrevocably in love with a vampire.

My father didn't know true love; he was young and stupid when he married my mom, and it was basically the kiss of death for both of them. Because of them, I was afraid of love—I was afraid to get attached to someone if I was only going to lose them… and I guess that that was part of the reason that when I did love, I threw myself headfirst into it. I never wanted that love to end… I wanted a guarantee—some kind of insurance that this would last forever. With Edward, the aspect of forever was never truly real; he would try so hard to preserve my mortality. He would rather force me to grow old beside him and die than change me into a vampire and live by my side forever. With Caius, my path was clear. With Caius, eternity _was_ a tangible aspect.

Charlie sighed and gave Caius one last glare before sighing. "The things that make you happy, Bells," he sighed. "I don't want to lose you again."  
His words sliced through me like a serrated knife—they went in somewhat cleanly, but tore out like hell. He would lose me again… and the next time he did it would be forever. What would I tell him? How could I possibly explain to him that I will never come back to the rainy town of Forks? How could I tell him that I won't come back for Christmases, or holidays… I didn't want to cut off all relations with him completely, but eventually it would come to that. Hell, I wouldn't even be able to go to his funeral… People would noticed that I hadn't aged. I loved Caius more than life itself, and I was willing to give up everything for him… but I wasn't ready to say goodbye to my dad yet.

Caius must have seen the pain flash in my eyes. He sat up in bed and put his arms around me soothingly, earning an almost animalistic growl from Charlie that I had no idea he was capable of. It was a good thing that Caius was bullet-proof, because when he pressed his lips to the side of my head I honestly thought that Charlie was going to go get his gun. "Get away from her!" Charlie shouted, livid.

"Dad, take a chill pill!" I muttered, rolling my eyes. "He kissed my head, big freaking deal! People do it all the time, it's not like he was trying to strip me naked!"

Charlie opened his mouth to say something and then closed it. "Fine. Be down for breakfast in five minutes," he muttered walking back to the door.

"Wow, I didn't know you could cook," I teased lightly, but there was an edge to my voice.

"During the past few weeks Bella, I've learned to manage on my own," he answered, leaving and closing the door behind him.

The knife plunged deeper into my chest.

"I'm sorry, Isabella," Caius whispered, kissing my head softly. "I know it'll be hard for you to leave him."

I nodded weakly. "Yes… I'll miss him, but… but I want to be with you forever," I told him, trying to sound confident.

He smiled back grimly and kissed my forehead. "I have to admit, for a human your father scares the shit out of me," he admitted with a chuckle.

I laughed too planting a soft kiss on his ice cold lips. "I never knew my father was scarier than werewolves. When you kissed me, though, I seriously thought he was gonna go get his gun and shoot you. I am so glad that I have a boyfriend that's bullet-proof."

Caius seemed to force a smile, but his face was a little hard. "Boyfriend?"

Sighing exasperatedly, I kissed his lips once more, just as softly. "Fiancé," I whispered. I felt him smile beneath my lips, and his right hand grasped the nape of my neck gently, pulling me toward him. I tried to pull away, but he hel me to him in an iron-tight grip.

"Caius," I managed to squeeze through during the few breaks in our kiss.

He just growled and shifted so he hovered over me on the bed. "I was hard for you all night you know," he stated mater-of-factly, kissing his way down my neck and to the valley between my breasts. "I don't like to be teased." Well, the Caius I remembered was back.

"And what happens to people who tease you?" I ventured, arching my back as one hand began to caress my left breast beneath the fabric of my skimpy outfit.

That seductive smirk played on his lips once more. If I was standing I would has swooned. Damn him and his fucking perfection. "Well, many end up headless, however, there is one particular woman who does it to me quite often," he said running his other hand down to the apex of my legs.

I let out a soft moan as his fingers began to massage my shielded entrance. "And what are you going to do with her?"

He took all contact away from me, causing my to whimper. "I am going to fuck her senseless when we get home."

Dammit. I was dripping wet for him. "Screw when we get home!" I growled, pulling his face down to mine. I tried to hold him there, but he pulled away.

"Not now, _mia amore,_" he murmured, climbing off me and the bed. "Your father gave us a time limit, or had you been so absorbed in your… activities that you had forgotten?" he asked, smirking.

Oh, that arrogant, cocky vampire was going to pay for that one! "You're the one who's afraid of him, not me," I retorted, sliding off the bed.

Caius smirked but said no more as he picked his shirt off the floor and put it on. I sighed and went to my dresser. I rummaged through the drawers and finally found a pair of old blue jeans and a nice, white, V-neck t-shirt. Caius stayed in my room while I retreated to the bathroom to change. As I changed, I glanced at my reflection in the mirror and grimaced.

My hair was mussed—thank you, Caius—and even looked greasy. I definitely needed a shower. Smirking to myself, I was half tempted to go back to the room and invite Caius for a shower after breakfast, but I knew my father wouldn't approve. _Fuck Charlie!_ my careless side thought. _Drag that sexy beast in here by the zipper and let him fuck the shit out of you!_

Shaking my head at myself, I changed quickly and returned to my room, combing my fingers through my hair. Caius turned upon my entry and smile. "You can make even the simplest outfits appear ravishing," he commented, grinning slightly.

"Hey," I began somewhat nervously. _Oh, what the hell!_ "I need to get a shower after breakfast and… I was wondering if you'd like to join me."

Caius's eyes were already black, but they darkened considerably. "I would love that, Isabella, but your father would hear us."

"We'll be quiet."

"Isabella, I can assure you that you will not be quiet once I get my hands on you," he replied with that fucking smirk.

Shooting him a glare, I folded my arms across his chest. "Fine. I was going to suck you off but forget it," I muttered, turning around, hoping he would call me back. He did. Never underestimate the power.

"Wait!" he called. "Just… I need to feed first. I don't want to risk anything."

I turned to face him and saw his onyx eyes. He had to be in pain even as we spoke. "Okay… but Charlie will notice your red eyes."

"I'll borrow some contacts from Jane and the others… Plus I need to speak with them about the newborns," he told me.

Nodding, I looked at the floor. "I'll go with you."

Abruptly, he shook his head. "No, Bella. I don't want you near me when I'm feeding. I'm an average vampire with acceptable control, but I'm no Carlisle. Carlisle's control is legendary, and I am a crazed newborn compared to him. I just… No. It's too dangerous."

I sighed. "So you're really gonna make me wait here and hang out with Charlie? You do realize he's going to talk to me about being 'safe' the entire time you're gone?"

Caius only chuckled. "Sorry."

"I hate you," I mumbled teasingly, hoping he wouldn't get the wrong impression. I folded my arms across my chest and gave him my best pouty face.

He laughed out loud and ushered me toward the door. "You're adorable when you're childish."

"When I'm a vampire and I'm slaughtering a human, you would call it adorable," I joked, but knowing Caius, it was probably true.

Ignoring his chuckles, I led the way down the stairs and to the kitchen. Charlie stood by the stove putting butter on a frying pan. "What are you doing?" I inquired curiously. I had never seen my father actually cook.

"Trying to cook eggs," he replied, getting the carton out of the fridge.

Sighing exasperatedly, I went over and took the carton from him. "I'll do it. I don't want you to set the house on fire."

"I'm not that bad," Charlie defended, stalking over to the kitchen table and sitting down. While I waited for the butter to melt on the pan, Charlie watched Caius with a hard expression. "So… Carlisle, what do you do for a living."

I groaned. "Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? It's Caius, not Carlisle! Carlisle is Edward's father."

Charlie nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry, Bells, their names are similar and they look alike."

Caius stiffened slightly and shifted his weight to one side. Good; very human. "It's funny you should say that Mr. Swan," Caius said casually. "Our families are actually related, Carlisle being my cousin."

"Oh… great…" Charlie sighed. "More Cullens."

"I never particularly liked them," Caius admitted. "And once I found out what they did to Isabella, I liked them even less."

"They're not all bad," I mumbled, cracking and egg and allowing the contents to spill on the pan. "I mean, most of them never even did anything to me… Edward was the one who hurt me."

Charlie looked at me. "You're defending them?"

I shrugged. "I was never one to hold a grudge. Caius, how would you like your eggs?"

Caius smirked at me. "I was actually planning on meeting a few friends this morning. I thought it would give you a good chance to spend some time with your dad."

Shooting him a glare, I turned back to the stove and watched the egg sizzle. No one said anything else, until I flipped the egg over. "Who's that for, Bells?" Charlie queried.

"Do you want it? I made it over easy, though," I answered.

"I'm gonna head out, sweetheart," Caius said, walking over to me.

I set the spatula on the counter so I could face him. The moment I turned, he pressed his lips to mine softly, but I could sense the new urgency in his kiss. He didn't want to leave, and I didn't want him to go, but we both knew he had to. I placed my hands on the side of his face and let out a soft moan into his mouth. Behind me, I heard Charlie clear his throat. I tried to keep Caius close to me, but he pulled away. Stupid vampire strength.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Caius whispered, kissing the bridge of my nose.

"Don't rush. You need to feed," I whispered back so my dad wouldn't hear.

Caius kissed my lips one last time in a way that should be illegal. If his arms wouldn't have been around my waist I would have probably fallen to the floor. When he pulled away, I smiled up at him a little. "Maybe rush a little."

He chuckled and kissed my forehead before bidding my father behind and heading out the door. I flipped the egg over once more, trying to ignore my father's gaze burning into my back. "You two seem very… er… close."

I got a plate out of the cupboard, shrugging. "I guess. I mean we're just… you know in love."

"Mm," he hummed disapprovingly.

I put the egg onto the plate and gave it to him. "I'll make you another if you're hungry."

"Bella," he sighed. "Look, I know you're young and you like your privacy… and I know that the last thing you want is for me to stick my nose in your business, but… Bella I just want to make sure that you're making the right choices. Your my baby girl, and I don't want you to get hurt again. You really liked that Cullen boy and look what he did to you."

"Dad," I muttered, annoyed. "Caius is not like that. He would never, ever do that to me. I love him and he loves me. And you know what? We're pretty serious about our relationship, and who knows! He might be your son-in-law one day."

He was silent after that and I cooked my eggs in peace. I sat down at the table across from him and ignored his presence. I wished that Caius would hurry back. After this long, being in the same room with my father alone was awkward. "I wish you didn't have to go back to Italy," he said finally, breaking the silence.

I looked down, the knife twisting. "I know… Me too. I'm going to miss you so much, dad."

* * *

_Like I said, this one is kind of like a filler. It mainly focuses on Bella's relationship with Caius and her father. She's beginning to realize that she will eventually have to leave her human life behind to be with Caius, and this is just a little bit of her trying to cope with that fact. It's clear that she can't have both Charlie and Caius._


	9. Chapter 9: Intruder

_Salvation - Chapter 9_

_Okay, well Caius hates Edward... like officially (as if we didn't already know) and Bella is sensitive. Fun. :) Well anyway, I hope you like this chapter, from now on, it's going to be somewhat like Eclipse with Victoria and the newborn army and all that, so I hope you enjoy._

_I do not own Twilight sadly, Stephenie Meyer does._

**_Please read this! I started school on Thursday and I will now have a lot of homework, a lot of extra activities going on, and will not have as much time to write. I will not be updating often (Caius: As if you already do! Me: I know...) so please, please, please be patient with me. I will try to write as much as possible, but I have this, and A LOT of other fics I'm writing... In fact I have, six others plus a story I am writing that needs to be done by the end of the month to get published. _**

* * *

**9. Intruder**

**Caius POV**

I left Isabella's house and headed off to the Cullen's place. I would much rather have Isabella accompany me, but her scent was truly intoxicating. If I smelled her while I was in a frenzy… I couldn't even bare to think of what would happen to my mate if I lost control.

To save time, I ran through the woods, following the distinct scent the Cullens left behind, particularly Edward's scent. Damn it, that boy set my teeth on edge. The last thing I wanted to think about was how many times he'd been in my Isabella's bedroom watching her sleep and fantasizing about how marvelous it would be to touch her… I hoped that he had realized by then that Isabella was mine! I wanted nothing more than to have him just close enough for me to rip him apart for hurting my Isabella… I would give anything to have all the people that ever wished her ill to have them close enough to kill…

As I reached the Cullens' house, I shook all dark thoughts from my mind, and even the very lustful few I still had about Bella the previous night. We wouldn't want Edward seeing those now would we? I trudged up the steps and opened the door knowing they were expecting me. Hell, if they weren't, I had a right to enter. I was a Volturi king dammit.

The Cullens and the members of the guard I'd brought were standing around the vegetarians' living room awkwardly. It was an uneasy, but necessary alliance. Plus, it gave my Isabella more protection. "Alice, any changes in the numbers?" I inquired, going to stand next to Carlisle.

Alice nodded. "They got five more last night," she said nervously.

I groaned and pinched the bridge of my nose tiredly. I felt Carlisle rest his hand on my should reassuringly, and, for once, didn't yank away. "How many does that make it?" Carlisle asked, his voice level.

"That makes it thirty-three now," Alice said, holding her husband's hand tightly. As if on cue, Jasper sent a wave of calm over us all, soothing my nerves. Alice opened her mouth to say something else, when she gasped. We all looked at her expectantly, but it was Edward who answered.

"Oh no…"

"What?!" I demanded, my temper flaring. I felt Carlisle's grip on my shoulder tighten

"Vampire… Bella's house…" Alice whispered.

I didn't need to hear more than that. Before Alice could say more, Felix, Jane and I were out the door heading to Isabella's.

* * *

**Bella POV**

I spent a little time talking with Charlie about Caius and Italy before he went to the den to watch his football game as usual. He told me that Billy would be coming over later. Oh joy. After my last meeting with Jacob, I didn't want to think about La Push or werewolves. I went up to my room and flopped down on the bed where Caius had slept, smelling his familiar scent that still clung to the fabric.

After a while, I got up and went to the bathroom. While I was washing my hands, I heard one of the floorboards creak in my bedroom. Shutting off the water slowly, I poked my head out of the bathroom. "Caius? Is that you?" I called praying that Caius had just jumped in my room to surprise me. "Dad?"

No one answered. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked hesitantly toward my room. I could hear Caius's voice in my mind. He would tell me to lock myself in the bathroom, stay there and call him immediately. Even if I did listen to him, my phone was in my room anyway.

"Hello?" I asked, stepping into my room. No one was there, but I thought I saw a blur move in the corner of my eye, but when I did a double-take, it was gone.

The next moment, I heard the door downstairs crash open. The voice of my lover bid greeting to Charlie before his footsteps thudded up the stairs. Once he was out of Charlie's view, he darted to my side. He pulled me into his arms gently as kissed my head. "Caius, what's wrong, or are you just happy to see me?" I asked, trying to keep my voice light.

He smiled weakly. "Both I'm afraid, my dear." He let go of me and went into my room. He growled, causing me to follow him.

"Caius, what is it?" I prayed that it wasn't what I thought it was.

"Someone's been in here," he muttered. "Come on, I need to take you to the Cullens'. From now on, you won't be left alone, either I, one of my guard, or one of the Cullens will watch you."

It was a safety measure and I knew that it was a safety measure, but it pissed me off. "I don't need to be babysat, Caius," I said, a warning edge to my voice.

"No, but you need to be properly defended," he said, turning to face me. He flashed that beloved smirk and took my face in his hands. "Isabella, there are things between my hands right now that I can't live without. You are my mate. You are the love of my existence, and, as much I might have tried to fight it in the past, I need you. Please, just do this for me."

I stared at Caius for a long moment, seeing the distress in his eyes. I knew that if I were to die, he would blame himself. I didn't want him to be in pain, or even do something stupid and kill himself. Sighing, I nodded. "Okay, but I don't want to be treated like some five-year-old," I muttered. Caius smiled at me and kissed my head when I got an idea. "Caius, why don't you just change me? I'm a liability now, but I could be an asset, or I would at least be able to defend myself."

He visibly stiffened, but I watched his face carefully. I could see that he was considering it, but something told me he wouldn't agree. "No… If I can avoid changing you I will," he told me.

Anger flared inside me. Why was everyone against me becoming a vampire?! "God!" I hissed, pulling away from him. "You are just like Edward!"

I turned around to leave the room, but he grabbed my arm roughly and jerked my back to him. I turned to face him, ready to glare, but just shrunk back from the livid expression on his face. His grip on my arm tightened, probably giving me a large bruise. I tried to pull away, but his grip was like iron. "I. Am. Not. Like. Him," he snarled. He then threw my arm away distastefully like it was poison.

The first chance I got, I bolted for the bathroom door and closed it behind me. I locked it just stood there, leaning up against the door, breathing heavily. I ran my hands through my hair, trying to catch my breath. The fury in his face terrified me. I wanted to curl up into a little ball and just stay away from him. The tears overflowed from my eyes and I soon found myself sobbing. I sank down to the floor and curled up in the fetal position.

After a while a knock sounded on the door. I gasped and scrambled away from it. "Who is it?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Isabella," Caius's voice came from outside. "I'm sorry, my darling, I didn't mean it. Please let me in. I won't hurt you, I promise."

Trembling, I rose to my feet and unlocked the door for him. He opened it slowly and came inside, closing it behind him. I stood a few feet away from him, my arm aching from where he'd grabbed me.

"I'm sorry," he said again.

"I know you didn't mean it," I said, shakily. I knew that he really didn't, but I was still scared.

Caius went over and gathered me into his arms. "I love you so much, Isabella," he whispered against my forehead. "I'm sorry, I just got angry. Just don't ever compare me to him. I am nothing like him."

"He just… he didn't want to change me. I thought that you would. I love you and I want to be with you forever," I whispered.

"I love you too, Isabella," he answered. "One day, I promise that I will change you. I will. I cannot live without you so I have no choice. However, I would like to wait at least until you're closer to my age physically… Plus that will give you more time as a human."

Sighing, I shook my head. "But why not now? I mean… I could help."

"If I were to change you now, we would have to wait three days for the change to be complete, and then you would be nearly uncontrollable. Do you remember what Carlisle told you in Volterra?" he asked gently.

I nodded and shuddered. How could I forget?

"You would be a greater liability as a newborn. It would be nearly impossible to control you. When you're human, I know that I can protect you and I know that you won't be fighting the people who I leave to guard you so you can go feed," he said.

Nodding, I sighed. I could see the truth in his words and wasn't about to object any further. Trying to change the subject, I gave him my best smirk. "Still up for that shower?"

That mischievous, sexy smirk reappeared, but he shook his head. "I promise you that we will later, but I need to take you to the Cullens and tell them about the intruder," he replied.

My face fell, but his icy hand rose it forced my eyes to meet his. "And once we return, I will fuck the shit out of you, rest assured."

Unable to keep myself from smiling, I kissed his cold lips softly. He kissed my back, placing his hands on my waist. "God, I love you," he breathed, pulling away slowly.

"What does it feel like?" I inquired suddenly. "To kiss me, I mean."

He smiled weakly. "It's painful," he admitted. "Being so close to you and not being able to taste your blood is… torturing. There's always a risk that I'll snap one day, but… I believe the rewards far outweigh the risks, don't you think so?" he asked, kissing my neck, right over my vein.

"Yes," I breathed. God, this man did things to me…

"It's pleasurable too though," he added after a moment. "You're so warm… You have melted my heart of ice and helped me to love again."

I smiled widely. "I am glad."

"Come on, my love. We should be heading off toward the Cullens'."

* * *

I rode on Caius's back as he ran to the Cullen house. To my surprise, he was faster than Edward was, or maybe just not as careful. We reached the large house in minutes and set me down outside. He darted to the door and held it open for me while I struggled to remember which way was up and which way was down. Why did those runs always disorient me? Stupid human brain.

We went into the house to find the Cullens and the Volturi gathered in the room. "Jane, Felix, Demetri, where did the intruder go?" Caius asked, watching his guard carefully.

"The scent disappeared five miles south of Bella's house," Demetri murmured.

"That's not acceptable, Demetri!" Caius snarled at him. "You are the best tracker on the face of the Earth so get your ass back out there and don't come out until you tell me where _exactly_ he went!"

"Who is to say it's even a man?" Jasper suggested. "It could be Victoria."

"No," Alice said. "I would have seen her decide to come. I just saw Bella's future change… If Caius hadn't come when he did, who knows what the intruder would have done to Bella and Charlie."

I shuddered at the thought of my father lying on the couch, dead with bite marks on his neck. "We can't put my father in danger," I said, holding Caius's hand.

"I know, love," Caius murmured, pressing his lips to my hair before shooting another glare at Demetri. "Well what are you waiting for?! Get going!"

Demetri's eyes widened slightly before darting from the room with Jane and Alec hot on his heels. Caius seemed to visibly relax once Demetri was gone and wrapped his arm around my waist. "I think that Bella should stay here tonight," he said.

"It would be best," Carlisle agreed, shifting his weight to one side. "Alice?"

"On it," the pixie-like vampire said, pulling out her cellphone, heading to the next room to call my father.

I sighed and leaned into Caius. I didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me. _You shouldn't have come back, Bella,_ I thought to myself sadly. _You might have just made everything worse._

"That might work, Jasper," Edward said suddenly, watching his brother with intrigued eyes.

Everyone looked at the two of them expectantly, waiting for one to explain. When none did, my lover spoke. "What might work?"

"Jasper was thinking that during the battle it might be beneficial to have Bella there—"

"Absolutely not!" Caius interrupted, his lips curling back exposing his white teeth.

"Caius is right," Carlisle said gently. "It would be way too dangerous."

"Carlisle with her scent there, the newborns won't be able to control themselves! It would be easier," Edward said, his eyes never landing on me.

"It might make it easier, but it would put Bella in danger," Esme pointed out, looking at Edward sternly. "Between us and the Volturi, we will be able to handle the newborns."

"Their numbers are growing! If Bella could distract them—" Edward was cut off as Caius flashed across the room and grabbed him by the throat. Without warning, he slammed my ex-boyfriend into the wall, making it crack.

"My mate is not going to be a distraction. She is not going to be in danger just so you can have an easier fight you pathetic excuse for a vampire. Remember, you left her, _boy,_" he spat.

Edward just stared at him with wide eyes while Caius held him there. "Caius," I whispered, wanting him to come back to me and let Edward go. Sighing, Caius let go and Edward dropped to the floor. As my mate turned to face me, he stopped and kicked Edward once in the ribs before returning to my side as if it had never happened.

"Bella should be as far away from the fight as possible," Felix suddenly spoke. "She should be under guard, but Caius can't be with her."

Caius growled. "Why not?"

Felix looked at my mate and then bowed his head. "Master, if Victoria knows that you and Mistress Isabella are indeed a mated pair, she would know that you would never leave her side. She would follow your scent to her. I will guard her, and I'm sure Jane and Alec would as well. She wouldn't get through the three of us, Master."

"Edward can't be with her either," Emmett said from his seat on the couch. "Victoria might think that Bella and Edward are still ma—I mean dating." Good save on his part, because the glare Caius shot him would have been a lot worse if not.

"Master Caius!" Jane's voice floated in from outside. A moment later, she appeared in the living room of the Cullen house with her clothes torn. "Werewolves ambushed us when we were following the scent! We need help!"

* * *

A/N: DUN-DUN-DUH!

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	10. Chapter 10: Demons

_Salvation - Chapter 10_

_I do not own Twilight, Ms. Meyers does._

_Yay! I am back people! Well, actually I've been working on this chapter in bits and pieces for a very long time. It's long and I hope it doesn't disappoint... ;)_

_**I want to thank all of you for all the fantastic reviews! None of my stories has ever become so popular, so thank you so much! I love you all dearly and I am sorry for the wait. Please continue to review! :)**_

* * *

**10. Demons**

Caius darted off without even bidding me farewell. Emmett, Jasper, Carlisle, Esme, Alice, Rosalie and the other Volturi members left as well leaving Edward and me alone. Edward watched me with eyes so dark it made me cold. "You're not going?" I asked, trying to keep the conversation light.

Edward started toward me, and I instinctively moved away. "Bella, I won't hurt you," he said, but his body language and tone of his voice forced me to believe otherwise. "Don't you understand, Bella? This is my chance! This is my chance to get you back! I love you, Bella. I don't know what they've done to you, but you aren't his mate! You're mine!"

I let out an annoyed sigh. "Edward, no matter what you say, I won't believe you. You can tell me that they've brainwashed me all you want, but I know that I love Caius and I know that they didn't do anything to make me feel that way. I do know, though, that you are getting on my fucking last nerve!"

Edward grabbed my arm as I turned to leave and yanked me so roughly back to him that I nearly fell over. I turned to face him and give him a harsh retort, but the look on his face silenced me. Without warning, he picked me up and slung me over his shoulder like I was a rucksack. I cried out in protest, but he darted up to his room before I could say more.

The next thing I knew, I was sitting on his bed and he was locking the door. Gulping, I slid away from him, praying that Caius would hear my silent plea and come home. I watched with horror as Edward removed his shirt. He must have seen my open mouth, for he chuckled. "This is what you always wanted, isn't it? I'm going to give it to you Bella. I will make you happy. I promise."

"I don't want you!" I snapped, my voice trembling with fear and rage. "I want Caius!"

Shaking his head, he came over to me and sat on the bed. "It'll be okay, Bella. I'll get you out of the delusion you're under. I'll make you believe that you love me again."

Next, I did something very stupid. In my rage, I slapped Edward as hard as I could across the face, probably breaking my hand in the process, but his head moved. He turned toward me and gave me the most frightening glare I'd ever seen. He grabbed my shirt and tore it violently from my body, and then did the same with my bra. With my chest bare to him, he squeezed on breast roughly, probably leaving a bruise in the shape of a handprint before removing my pants.

_NO!_ I screamed in my head, but didn't voice it. What difference would it make? Edward wouldn't stop. He would rape me… he would force himself on me. This was wrong! I belonged to Caius! Where was my mate when I needed him? Then again, he always did seem to have a habit of showing up late to horrible events such as this.

Edward slipped off my panties, leaving me bare to him. He slipped one icy finger in my entrance and growled at what he found. "So he already claimed you, did he?" he snarled, more to himself than to me. "No matter; you will be mine!"

"NO!" I shouted as loud as I could. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" I hoped to God that someone would hear. Someone—anyone, even Jacob—would hear and come help me. Edward pinned me down to the bed and removed his own pants and boxers. If I hadn't been so terrified of being penetrated, I would have laughed at his size. _I belong to Caius. I belong to Caius. I belong to Caius!_ I repeated that phrase like a mantra over and over again in my head. Would he still want me if Edward had me? Would he still love me if I had been used by another man?

"I HATE YOU!" I screamed one last time as he finally thrust himself inside me with a groan. The feeling of having him of all people inside me made me want to vomit. Tears rose in my eyes and threatened to fall as I lay there at his mercy. He hurt me, and hurt me, and hurt me, and hurt me, and then… he released. It felt like a cinder block had been dropped on my chest, and at the same time, my stomach flipped. He was forever inside me now. Caius had not come to my rescue.

He tainted me.

He ruined me.

Just as Edward pulled out of me, the door to his bedroom flew off its hinges revealing a furious Caius. My mate was so angry that he looked like he would explode at what he saw. Not liking his anger, I moved as far away from him as I could and curled up in the fetal position on the bed. "You dare touch my mate?" Caius roared.

Edward backed up, clearly afraid, but I just closed my eyes, not wanting to see what happened next. The tell-tale porcelain snap told me all I needed to know. The next thing I felt were ice-cold arms wrapping around me. "Shh, my love," he soothed as I let out a soft sob. "Shh, it's okay. I'm here now. He will never hurt you again." Tenderly, he kissed my head and held me close to him.

"Caius… he… he…" I trailed off as I let out another sob.

"Shh, baby. I know. I know," he whispered, rubbing my back. "I am so sorry."

"How can you do this?" I asked, pulling away from him. "How can you still love me?"

He gazed at me, a little bewildered. "Isabella, darling, what do you mean? I will always love you… Or was this… what you wanted?" He asked glancing at the naked corpse of Edward.

"No!" I gasped grabbing his hand in my hand and forcing him to look at me. "I didn't want this. I tried to stop him, but he was stronger than me… but he used me! He ruined me, Caius. He tainted me… A part of him is inside me forever! You should hate me."

Caius shook his head and kissed the top of my head. "Isabella, I will never hate you. Ever. I don't care if you did want it, I would still love you."

I laughed weakly. "Yeah, I doubt that."

He sighed. "What do I have to do to convince you that my love for you is everlasting? Do you not trust my word?"

Letting out a soft whimper, I buried my head his chest. "You're so perfect… and I… I'm not. I'm a human… It doesn't make any sense at all for you to love me! Why can't you understand that? I feel like I'm not good enough. I feel like…" I trailed off, unable to continue.

Caius rubbed my back soothingly once more as I sobbed. "Oh, _mia amore,_" he sighed. "I love you. I will love you every moment of forever. You will be my wife and I will be absolutely devoted to you; I already am, beloved."

His words did little to brighten my mood. I heard the voices of Jane and Demetri speaking downstairs with Carlisle and Jasper. In the next instant, all of the Cullens appeared in the doorway. Caius hissed and slipped off his black suit jacket and wrapped it around me.

Esme burst into tears at the sight of her adopted son lying headless on the floor. Pain shot through me and I closed my eyes tightly, praying that it would all go away, but Esme's sobs reminded me that it was all real. "Caius, I want to go home," I whimpered, clutching his shirt tightly in his hands.

"Home to your father's house, or home to Volterra?" my mate inquired softly.

I was half-tempted to say Volterra. I would be able to go back and live peacefully until the newborn army situation is in the clear and Caius returns. I wouldn't have to deal with the Cullens and I would be able to forget the past… forget Edward… but I knew that wasn't an option. I needed to face my fears. I needed to stay here and be strong for myself, and for Caius. "Home here."

He nodded seeming almost disappointed. I knew that he would love it if I went back to Volterra where I would be safe, but I couldn't leave him. "Felix!" he said somewhat quietly. In the next moment, the six foot guard appeared in the doorway.

"Master," he greeted Caius, dipping his head respectively.

"Take that abomination's body out of here, and the others as well. My mate needs some peace and quiet. I will be taking her back to her house momentarily," Caius told him. The authority in his voice partially turned me on, but at the same time, I knew that this was not the time, nor the place.

"Shall I burn him, my lord?" Felix asked, picking up Edward's naked body by the foot and slinging it over his shoulder like a rucksack.

It took Caius a moment to answer. "No," he finally replied. Esme let out a cry of relief, but was silenced by my mate's next words. "I plan on torturing him more before I put that boy out of his misery."

Just as Felix grabbed Edward's head, Rosalie pushed her way past Carlisle and Esme and went straight toward me. "YOU!" she screamed. "You're a little whore!" I saw that Rosalie had much more to say, but Caius jumped up and grabbed her throat before she could finish. Emmett growled somewhere in the back of the small crowd, but did nothing; smart move.

"You dare call my mate a whore?" Caius snarled. "I know your story, Rosalie. You are just a bunch of used goods. My Isabella is far better than you. She is more beautiful, kinder, smarter, and braver than you, you little bitch!"

His words seemed to infuriate the Cullens, but none of them did anything as Caius dropped Rosalie. "If you ever verbally abuse her again, your punishment will be far worse! You've been warned."

"You have no right—" Rosalie began, but Carlisle cut her off.

"Yes, he does, Rosalie," he murmured solemnly. "Caius has a right to protect his mate. He was a little… harsh, but he has every right to protect Bella."

"But Edward—"

"Edward raped her, Rose!" Alice hissed. "He deserved to get his pathetic head torn off!"

Caius glared at Rosalie one last time before looking to the rest of the Cullens. "Well? Will you let my mate dress already?! Get out!"

As the Cullens filed out of the room, I began to dress slowly, shaking badly. Caius watched carefully, ready to steady or catch me if I fell. Once I was dressed, Caius picked me up in his arms and carried me down the stairs to his car, passing the Cullens without even shooting them a glance. After making sure I was safe and buckled, he darted around to the driver's side and sped off down the road.

"I am so sorry," he whispered, his voice barely audible to my human ears.

"It's not your fault," I answered, keeping my gaze on my shoes.

"Yes it is!" he snarled, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, making it groan.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and forced myself to look out the window as the forest zipped past us. "You can't protect me from everything, Caius," I said after a moment.

It took him a while to answer. "But I can try."

"So what happened with the werewolves?" I got up the courage to ask after a moment.

Caius smiled weakly. "They thought that my guard was a part of Victoria's army so they attacked. We got there just in time and explained. It was just a misunderstanding, and then Alice said that Edward wasn't with us, and I knew that he had to be with you, so I rushed back as quickly as I could."

"I'm glad that no one got hurt," I said, taking his hand gently.

He smiled and we rode the rest of the way in silence. When we got back to the house, we went up to my room, telling Charlie that an emergency had happened at the Cullens and it was best that I came home. Personally, I think that Charlie was glad that Caius and I were back so he could keep an eye on us.

Caius hated the smell of the intruder in my room, but still put up with it for me. I didn't even change into anything more comfortable, just curled up in his arms, trying to forget the day's events, but even my dreams didn't give me salvation from my memories. My nightmares brought me back to reality as I relived Edward forcing himself on me over and over and over.

I woke up in the middle of the night, crying to one of those nightmares. When I told Caius what my dreams were about, he nearly broke my bed in half. He promised me that he would make Edward suffer for all the awful things he'd done to me, and I didn't doubt that he would.

After waking up for the third time at five in the morning, I just strayed away and watched the sun rise over the mountains. Caius held me close to him as if he were terrified that if he let go, I'd disappear and I didn't object. We heard my father get up around 7:30, and he came in to check on us. He made sure to glare at Caius every chance he got, but he was otherwise civil.

When my father left, Caius kissed my head softly. "I think he's warming up to me," he whispered, trying to get both our minds after yesterday.

Ignoring his words, I turned to face him. "I need you."

He gazed at me, lovingly, but slightly bewildered as well. "I need you too, darling," he answered, but wasn't getting my point. To help him understand, I shifted closer and crushed my lips to his. Caius was surprise, but kissed me back all the same, caressing my face with his hands. I could see that he still did not understand, so I began to unbutton his shirt slowly. I could almost hear the click in his head as he put two and two together.

"Bella!" Charlie shouted from upstairs making me growl between Caius's lips. "I'm heading to work. Are you and Caius gonna be okay?"

"Fine!" I shouted back, pulling away from my lover for a split second before kissing him deeply once more before he could say anything. I began to grind against him, and it wasn't long before I felt his manhood poking the apex of my legs. Caius groaned and slid his tongue into my mouth before collapsing backward on the bed, pulling me on top of him.

I heard Charlie close the door as he left, but waited until I heard the engine of his police cruiser fade into the distance before taking off my shirt. Caius smiled up at me, and cupped my breasts through the bra. "My Isabella," he breathed before running his icy hands down my belly to the waist of my pants.

Groaning, I continued to grind on him while he tried to unbutton my jeans during my movements. Finally, getting annoyed, Caius grabbed my waist in one hand and forced me to remain still while he got my jeans unbuttoned. I slid them off and remounted him wearing my lacey underwear, and a seductive smile. Caius smirked and slipped his shirt off for me so I could see that gorgeous chest of his.

Deciding that he had way too much clothing on, I took off his pants and boxers, exposing his long, erect pillar. Smirking, I ran my fingertips along the shaft making him snarl. He gripped my bed sheets tightly, and I immediately removed my hand. He whimpered slightly at the loss of contact, making me grin. "Now, now, darling, be a good boy and don't destroy my bed and I'll suck off you, but if you break something it's over."

Caius gave me a look that said "I hate you right now, but I actually love you, but why the hell are you doing this to me?" I just gave him an innocent smile and ran my hands down his bare chest to the base of his cock. "You're so hard for me," I commented, beginning to run my fingers up it once more. "You're such a good boy, Caius."

He growled low in his throat and threw his head back. "I have half a mind to flip you over and fuck the shit out of you," he snarled, gazing at me with black, lust-filled eyes.

"You will," I promised, kissing the tip softly. "But first, I need to do a few things." With that, I put my lips around the tip and swirled my tongue around the tip. Caius cried out in pleasure and slammed his fists down on the bed not nearly as hard as he probably wanted too. As I went farther down along his length, I made sure to suck on him. He growled as I continue to take him in my mouth, pumping his member with my hand as I pulled off. It didn't take him long to reach his climax, and once he did, I lapped up his fluids readily and smiled at him. "Do you like it when I do that?"

He groaned. Even though he had already released, he wasn't any less hard than he had been when we started. My folds were dripping wet for him; I ached for him. I couldn't even remember the last time Caius and I had been intimate. My entire body yearned for his touch and for his ministrations. "Caius…" I breathed, sitting all the way back, staring down at him. Batting my eyelashes seductively, I whispered, "Take me."

Caius didn't need to hear more. He flipped me over and buried himself deep inside me in under one second. He began thrusting into me wildly, just as desperate for this as I was. I tangled my fingers in his blond hair, holding him to me, and enjoying the familiar sensation of having him inside me. I could finally forget about what Edward did to me and focus on making love to Caius.

While Caius's hips seemed to move at inhuman speed, I gazed at his upper body, mystified. How could a man as beautiful and perfect as this possibly be mine? My train of though was cut off as Caius roughly pinched one of my nipples before taking the other in his mouth. I gasped and tugged on his hair in my pleasure, but that only seemed to arouse my lover further. "Do you like it when I fuck you?" he breathed, pulling his mouth away from my breast.

"God… yes…" I gasped, rapping my legs around his waist tightly. When he swore and spoke to me in a dirty way, it only made me wetter for him. With each thrust, Caius was hitting my cervix. It was taking all of my willpower not to release with everything he was doing to me.

"Do you like it when I talk dirty to you?" he growled, biting now but not hard enough to break the skin.

Unable to articulate words anymore, I nodded. Everything suddenly became epileptic images and incoherent thoughts as I came closer to my climax. Caius was saying more, but I couldn't understand him. Finally, I let go and threw my head back as I allowed the orgasm to finally ravage my body. It took Caius only moments afterward to release himself.

We lay there, our mixed fluids staining my bed sheets and trickling down my thighs. I finally was able to think clearly again, and rested my head on Caius's chest. "I love you," I whispered, kissing over where his silent heart rested.

He smiled weakly at me, and I knew that he was overcome with passion, just as I was. "I love you too, my Isabella… I swear to the gods if that redheaded bitch hurts you…" he trailed off, sighing. "I don't like the idea of us being apart."

Looking down, I sighed. "Neither to do I, but Felix is right; if she does know about us, she would know that you would be with me."

Caius kissed my head softly. "But how will I know if you're safe? What if she figures it out and gets to you? What if she kills you?! What will I do if—"

I silenced his frantic voice with kiss. "I will be fine. Felix, more Volturi members and even a few Cullens will be there to guard me. I'm more worried about you than anything."

He looked at me and arched an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips. "Oh?"

"Yes. You and your damn arrogance needs to cool it. The last thing I want is for someone to tell me that you've been beheaded! I know you want to protect me and keep me safe, but I don't want you to take risks either. Just because you're all under the impression that this is going to be a piece of cake doesn't mean that you can act like it's no big deal!"

Caius sighed, but nodded. "I understand your worries," he allowed, rubbing my back soothingly. "I know you worry about me, but I will be fine. I'm a vampire king who has fought and killed werewolves. A couple newborns will be 'a piece of cake', or whatever you kids say these days. You're a lot more breakable than I am."

Smiling half-heartedly, I snuggled closer to him. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't."

* * *

Later that day (and after a long, very sexual shower), we headed back over to the Cullen household. It was time to face my demons, or demon I should say. I wanted to confront Edward for all the shit he put me through. I had made up my mind that morning that this was what I was going to do, and with Caius by my side, I felt like I could conquer the universe.

We pulled up to the Cullen house and an eerie silence seemed to fall over the both of us. _I will not think about what happened yesterday. I will not think about what happened yesterday!_ Caius got out and darted over to my side of the car, opening the door for me. Shooting him a grateful, but weak smile, I got out and started walking toward the steps. Caius followed, holding my hand reassuringly.

Alice and Jasper flashed to the door and opened it for us. "Hey Bell—" Alice was cut off from a searing glare from Caius.

"Behave yourself," I hissed under my breath to him, "they did nothing to me. Hey, Alice." I smiled at my "sister" the best I could.

Alice seemed to understand my pain and just gave me a sympathetic look. I knew that all of the Cullens were torn—Edward was a part of their family, but they couldn't argue with the fact that what he did to me was horrible. Jasper led us into the living room where all the Cullens and the majority of the Volturi were waiting. Upon seeing them all, I stopped in my tracks, but Caius gently pulled me forward. "Don't be afraid, love," he murmured softly.

"I've caused them all so much pain," I whispered back, feeling everyone's eyes on me, especially Carlisle's and Esme's. God, what must they think of me?

"You didn't, sweetheart," Esme suddenly spoke up, starting toward me. "None of this is your fault, darling. You were just following your heart. I can understand that—we all can… Edward… Edward just didn't. He had no right to do any of that stuff to you. I am… I am ashamed to call him my son."

"As am I," Carlisle agreed, stepping up beside his wife. "We don't blame you, Bella."

"I do," Rosalie suddenly said.

I felt my mate tense beside me. His entire body vibrated as he let out a lion-worthy growl. "Apparently someone didn't learn their lesson yesterday," he spat.

Before he could make a move toward Rosalie, Emmett and I moved simultaneously to stand in between them. "Caius, don't," I whispered, moving closer to him. I could hear Emmett whispering things to Rosalie, trying to calm her down.

My mate looked at me, seeming almost tortured. "But that—"

"I don't care what she thinks of me," I told him gently, taking his hands in mine. "I love every one of the Cullens, even if they don't love me, but I only truly care about what you think."

Caius sighed and nodded. "I won't go for her," he said, but the fury was still dangerously high in his voice. I stepped back to stand beside him, not letting go of his hands. Carlisle, Esme, Alice and Jasper were watching us with stunned faces. I was sure that they've never seen anyone be able to call Caius of an attack like that.

"Bella, if you wouldn't have even came into the picture, none of this would have ever happened! Edward wouldn't have run off to Italy to kill himself—"

"Because you wouldn't have told him I was dead!" I shouted at Rosalie, cutting her off. "You're the one that told him I was dead! But you know what, I'm glad! You know why, Rosalie? Because if it weren't for your idiocy and pretentious attitude, I never would have met Caius, so thank you!"

Caius wrapped his arm around my waist and kissed my head. I heard a quiet purr rumble in his chest and I knew that he was proud of me for standing up to Rosalie. "Where did you put that undeserving prick?" Caius asked, looking at Felix expectantly.

"In the basement," the six foot tall guard replied. "We put his head back on but Alec and Jane have him restrained." I couldn't help but smile at the thought of little Jane just gazing at Edward and having him writher in pain.

"Very well," Caius said, taking my hand once more. "Shall we go, love?"

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A/N: Thanks for reading! If you liked this chapter, leave a review and a let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :D


	11. Chapter 11: Median

_Salvation - Chapter 11_

_Now, I know what you're all gonna say: "THANK GOD, FINALLY! SOMEONE HAS KNOCKED SOME SENSE INTO YOU THIS POOR WOMAN'S HEAD!" but the truth is, I haven't had time to write. In case you didn't already know: School is freaking DIFFICULT, and plus squeezing my boyfriend, my chores, and pretty much running a horse farm all by myself, and other things is pretty freaking hard. I thank you all for your patience and consideration. Never in a million years would I ever, EVER stop writing this. You are all so WONDERFUL AND I LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU! The reviews you leave warm my heart, and keep me writing. Thank you all so muh! I have the best fans in the world, and I appreciate every favorite and follow, and read every review! So thank you. I don't deserve you, and I think you amazing people have waited long enough, so I'm gonna write the disclaimer and then let you guys read the freaking story already! :)_

_I do not own Twilight - SM does. _

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**11. Median**

The Cullen basement was unusually chilly as we descended the wooden staircase. I had never been down her before, mainly because I had no reason to. I saw the faint outline of Jane and Alec as they stood, simply gazing at Edward, but the fire blazed in Jane's eyes. Edward lay about five feet away, crumpled to the ground in pain. "Hey, Jane," I greeted her quietly, knowing that she would be able to hear me.

The little blond gave Edward one last glare before turning to face me, her face as docile as a kitten. "Good morning, Mistress." The moment her gaze left him, Edward collapsed to the ground, gasping for unneeded breath.

I looked down, embarrassed to be addressed as such. I looked over and saw that Edward was looking at me, his rage contorted with rage. "You little bitch!" he snarled. Alec and Caius immediately rushed to restrain him before he could even lunge. Felix and Santiago came darting down the stairs and took over in Caius's position while my mate returned to my side.

"You pathetic, foolish boy!" Caius spat with distaste. "First you force your undeserving self on my mate and then you dare insult her?!"

Edward snarled. "I don't know what you've done to her, but you've changed her! You've ruined her you son of a bitch! You've turned her into a little slut!"

Caius let out a furious roar and began trembling with rage. I took a step toward him, wanting to calm him down, but he held out his hand at me as if to tell me to stop. "Bella… back… off…" he hissed through clenched teeth.

Shaking, I took a few steps backward. He was only trying to protect me from himself and I knew it. I knew that he was enraged and it wasn't wise for me to get too close to him while he was in this state. I kept my distance, and Caius calmed down slightly. "Boy," he said, his voice eerily calm. "Before this all is over I'm going to kill you for what you did."

By this time, the Cullens had joined us in the basement. Alice immediately came over to me, and pulled me into her arms. I didn't object and allowed her to hug me, hiding my face in her shoulder. I heard a loud porcelain snap, and Edward let out a scream of agony. "You i_dare_/i rape my mate?!" There was another crack, and another scream. "You dare injure her perfect body?!" Caius screamed.

I heard someone sobbing, and looked up to see Esme running up the stairs with Carlisle close behind to console her. I turned around to see Edward leaning up against the wall with both arms missing and his penis removed from his body. With horror, I watched as Caius proceeded to tear off each extremity he had until all he had left was his head and torso. Caius let out one last snarl. "I hope you burn in hell for what you did to my Isabella!" he spat before kicking him so hard in the head it flew off.

Edward was dead.

My entire body was trembling as I gazed at my mate. I had never seen him behave like that before, and it freaked the hell out of me. Caius turned around and his eyes locked with mine. I knew he could see the fear within them. His entire demeanor changed—his shoulders relaxed and he unclenched his fists. "_Mia amore…_" he breathed, approaching me slowly. "It's alright. I won't hurt you. I promise."

Somehow, I was able to remain still as Caius wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. "Shh," he whispered. "I would never, ever hurt you. I promise, sweetheart."

"Shall we burn him, master?" Felix asked somewhere behind Caius.

I closed my eyes tightly and continued to rest my head on my mate's chest. "Yes. Take him outside and make sure all the Cullens watch. Let it be known that this is the price they will pay if they dare harm my mate again," he growled. I opened my eyes just in time to see him glaring at Rosalie. The beautiful blond vampire matched his gazed before walking up the stairs, Emmett following close behind.

"If you kill them all, I'm going to be angry," I whispered. "They haven't done anything to me. It was just Edward."

"And that bitch," Caius snarled, holding me tighter, but not enough to hurt me.

"Don't worry about Rosalie. I can handle her," I promised, running my hands through his hair gently.

Caius shot me a dubious look but said no more. Slowly, we both ascended the stairs while Felix and Alec followed behind, carrying what was left of Edward. I dared not look back at the remains of the monster that had ruined me so terribly. Whenever I thought of him and what he did, a feeling of guilt and despair crept over me and manifested itself deep inside. As long as I lived, even as a vampire standing beside my wonderful mate I wouldn't be able to forget the way he forced himself on me.

Still, a sense of pride somehow managed to mix itself with the fear. It was a pride in myself for surviving all this time, and putting up with Edward's idiocy and his cruel ways. It was a pride that I remained strong and I didn't accept his forgiveness, or go crawling back to him like the pathetic, love-dazed teenager I once it. Was pride in Caius that he rose to defend me, and made Edward pay for his crimes. I felt empowered by these thoughts, and was able to push the pain into the dark and lock the door behind it. I would not let this control me. I would be strong, just as I had been before. I would no longer be clumsy, gullible Bella Swan, but confident, brave, beautiful Isabella Volturi, mate of Caius, and Queen of the Vampire World.

When we reached the top of the stairs, Caius steered me into the Cullen kitchen while Felix and Alec took Edward's pieces outside, the Cullens following. "You don't have to go to the pyre if you don't want to. I will not force you."

Shaking my head, I took his hands in mine. "Caius, while we were leaving the basement, I made a decision," I told him, feeling my lips tug upward at the edges involuntarily. "I've decided that I'm not going to let Edward ruin me. I'm going to be strong, and become a better person, a happier person. I'm not going to be Bella Swan the puny little human anymore. From now on, I am Isabella Volturi, mate of Caius and Queen of the Vampire World, and no one can take that away from me. I will go with you to the pyre and I will stand at your side with my head held high, and refuse to let them see any pain I harbor."

Caius smiled widely for a moment, and then his face fell. He shook his head, seeming almost upset. "Isabella, you don't have to do this for me. I don't want you to pretend to be strong when you're not. I don't want you to be anyone else but yourself."

Narrowing my eyes, I folded my arms across my chest. "Caius, I'm not being anyone else! This is me, and I want this! I don't want to be a weak, little human anymore! I want to be something better—someone better."

He shot me an unconvinced look, but snaked his arm around my waist. "I just want you to know that you don't have to change for me."

"I'm not doing this for you, I'm doing this for me!" I nearly shrieked, yanking away from him.

Caius didn't seem effected by my outburst, but dipped his head acceptingly. I led the way outside to the pyre with Caius following closely behind. The Cullens were already assembled, Esme crying into her husband's chest, and the other members—minus Rosalie—were gazing at the pile of Edward that was beginning to form. The beautiful blond vampire was glaring at me with a look of pure hatred. I struggled to ignore her seething gaze, and leaned into Caius. _You must be strong, Bella._

Once Felix, Alec, and Jane had finished gathering together all of Edward's remains into a pile, they stepped back, allowing Caius to come forward. I felt his arm as it left it usual place around my waist, drag over me, as if he were more than reluctant to leave me. He reached into his pocket and took out a silver lighter, and lit it. He shot a warning glance at all of the Cullens, silently telling them that this would also be their fate if they hurt me again. Then, he threw the lighter into the pyre, and the body of my former boyfriend burst into flames.

After the fire had been ignited, the Cullens watched the reddish-orange flames burn their family member, while I focused on a spot on the ground. Caius returned to my side, and replaced his arm around my waist, and I felt better. It was easy to feel so confident when he was standing by my side ready to protect me, but when he left, even if he was still in my side, I felt my heart ache inside. However, I knew that in the near future, we would never have to be separated again.

I raised my eyes to the flames, and saw the Cullens looking solemn on the opposite side, with Rosalie still glaring. She looked more demonic than angelic, as if the flames had also engulfed her. Any hope I had in having a relationship—no matter how tiny—with her were gone. Something told me that she would be a problem in the future, but hopefully not a true enemy. After Victoria was dealt with, there was no one else left that could hurt me—Edward was now gone. We were halfway there now. Halfway to peace. Halfway to forever. Caius leaned down and kissed my head before uttering my exact thoughts. "Now he will never harm you again, _cara mia._"

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you like what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!

**Oh, and by the way, down here are just advertisements. The actual Author's Note is always at the top of the chapter. :) Just to clear things up. All important info is up there. As regards to the "click on my username to see more" is doesn't refer to this story, more as if you liked this story, check out my other ones. **


	12. Chapter 12: Babysat

_Salvation - Chapter 12_

Okay, this chapter went... kinda all over the place. Bella gets... well you'll see. ;) I hope you like this, I personally have mixed feelings about it. There are a lot of dialogue and scenes that you will recognize from _Eclipse_ in here. There is one thing discussed between Bella and Jacob that I felt was ignored in the movies and the books for that matter that should have been addressed. What if Bella DID choose Jacob, and Jacob WASN'T supposed to imprint on Renesmee, and imprinted on someone else?

I do not own the characters, or the settings... for the most part.

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**12. Babysat**

Over the next few days, the Cullens grieved for the loss of their family member while the Volturi worked tirelessly with the werewolves patrolling, and trying to figure out more of Victoria's plans. Caius told me that less than a week away, the battle would occur. Victoria was near, and she was waiting until she was close enough to me to finally end me.

I shuddered.

Caius wrapped his arm tighter around my shoulders as we drove toward La Push. Caius needed to feed once more, and the Cullens had run out of blood bags with all the Volturi vampires around so he and a small group were heading up to Seattle for the weekend to hunt. Neither of us enjoyed the idea of being so far apart, but I knew that it was necessary. I would be spending the days in La Push with Jacob and the werewolves and the evening at the Cullens'. My father just thought that Alice and I were spending a weekend to catch up and was blissfully unaware of the mortal danger his daughter was in.

As we reached the boundary line, I saw the shirtless Jacob leaning up against his red Volkswagen Rabbit. When he saw Carlisle's Mercedes that Caius was borrowing, he pushed off the side of the car and folded his arm across his chest wearing a smug grin. I wanted to punch him and wipe it off.

Caius must have sensed my annoyance. "If he gives you any trouble, you call me," he said, tightening his grip on the steering wheel, making it groan. "Do you hear me? Anything at all—call. I don't care how small it is, if you feel uncomfortable just call me and I'll beat his head in for you."

I smiled weakly at the thought and slid out of the car with Caius close behind me. He walked me to the border where Jacob stepped up to meet us. "Hey, beautiful," Jacob greeted me.

My mate let out a low, animalistic snarl. "Listen, mutt," he hissed, black eyes looking the werewolf up and down, scrutinizing every detail about him. "While I'm gone, my mate is under your care. I want to make sure that you realize how important that is. Isabella is my life and without her I am nothing, so if you return her to me with so much as a scratch or a tiny bruise, it's your ass. I don't care if an apocalypse happens, or if the ground splits apart without warning and she goes tumbling to the abyss—it's on your watch. And that's not just for you, but for the Cullens as well. I already gave Carlisle the same lecture. You don't even have to leave a mark on her, dog. If she comes to me or calls me and says that you've been mean to her, or touched her in any way—sexual or not unless you were saving her life—I will kill you without asking questions. Am I clear, mongrel?"

"I'm not gonna hurt her," Jacob told him, and then a smug grin slipped onto his face. "What's the matter, Blondie? Don't trust me?"

Caius remained impassive at the foolish, degrading nickname. If I had been a vampire, I would have knocked Jacob on his ass for daring to call my mate that. "I trust no one but myself with my Isabella."

"Well, you have a reason to feel that way," Jacob allowed after a moment. "Bella kinda is a danger magnet."

A smile ghosted across Caius's face before he turned to me. "Remember, if anything happens—" he began, taking my petite shoulders in his massive hands gently.

I cut him off my pressing my lips to his. "I'll be fine, my love. Between the werewolves and the Cullens, plus the rest of the Volturi that's staying behind, I'm well-defended."

He frowned. "You know I worry."

"I know, but I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," I tried to assure him. I wanted to sound confident for him, but I was actually trembling inside. I hated the idea of him being so far away from me, but I knew it was necessary. Still, after the Edward-incident, I felt terrified to be away from his side for a two minutes let alone three days. _Edward is dead now,_ my rational side reminded me. _And neither the Cullens nor the werewolves would ever let Victoria get close enough to get me._

"You might be a big girl," he replied, his lips curling up at the edges as he repeated my words. "But you are still human, and a very fragile, clumsy human at that." His eyes and voice were teasing, but his body was tense underneath his dark Volturi attire. I knew it was foolish, but I worried about him as well, maybe not so much in a physical sense like he did for me, but I worried about his emotional strength. He was going through so much lately I feared that one day he would just… snap.

"Jacob will protect me."

He frowned. "I know…"

"Hey, are you two done with your little goodbye party?" Jacob interrupted, shifting his weight to one side arrogantly. "I'm kinda waiting to get the fuck away from your vampire stench."

Sighing, I grasped Caius's hand for a brief moment. "I better go before Jacob goes all wolf on us," I said, meaning for the remark to be teasing, but my lover's face darkened.

"If he hurts you…" he began, and then trailed off, shaking his head.

"I'll be fine!" I insisted, giving him a shove toward Carlisle's car. "Go have a good time with the guys in Seattle. I'm sure I'm beginning to bore you anyway."

He smirked again. Even now that damn smirk of his made me weak in the knees and wet in the… you know where. "You could never bore me, _mia amore,_" he practically purred as he slid into the black Mercedes.

Jacob made a gagging noise behind me as Caius sped off in the opposite direction. "You two are like a couple of love-struck teenagers that can't help themselves to do anything but make out all day in the hallways and bathrooms at school," he remarked.

Smiling, I turned to face him. "He's not Edward. He's a lot different," I said.

Jacob didn't return my smile. "You're right—he ain't Fuckward."

With that, we both got into the Rabbit and began the drive toward Jacob's house in La Push. The moment Jacob turned the key in the ignition, the radio began blasting the song "Try" by P!nk. There was a few lines that stood out to me before Jacob could shut the it off: "_Where there is desire, there is gonna be a flame. And when there is a flame someone's bound to get burned. But just because it burns doesn't mean you're gonna die…_"

Those words seemed to call out to me. I couldn't think of anything more appropriate. There was a flame between Caius and me, and in the process, Edward and Jacob both got burned, but at the same time, there had been a flame between Edward and I, and I was the one receiving the burn in that case. Just because we lost and we were burned in the process doesn't mean that it's all over—it just means that they weren't the right people. The song helped me realize and come to many conclusions in just those few phrases.

Jacob, unaware to the meaning and reality of that song, drove on, glaring at the blacktop. "Something wrong?" I asked quietly, seeing his anger.

"Nothing," he replied moodily. Okay, was he just being a teenage hormonal-ruled werewolf, or was there something deeper?

"You seem… upset."

"I'm peachy."

I said no more, and neither did he until we pulled into his driveway. I hadn't been here since I first came back to the States and Caius and the Volturi met the pack. I didn't have fond memories of this place anymore—not like I had after Edward left and Jacob sewed up the wounds he had left behind. "I miss this place," I commented, trying not to think about all the good times I'd had here before I met Caius.

"I miss you," Jacob blurted out without warning.

Without even looking at him, I slid out of the Rabbit and made my way toward his house. Gray rainclouds were gathering in the sky, but that was normal for Forks. By the looks of the sky and the smell hanging in the air, I could only assume that rain was on its way, and I had no intention of sitting outside and waiting for it.

I heard the car door slam as Jacob got out. In a matter of seconds, I felt his presence behind me. "Where are you going?" he asked.

"Inside. It's gonna rain," I told him.

He let out a huff of annoyance. "I was actually planning on taking you over to Sam and Emily's place. It's safer… and Sam wants to talk to you."

At this, I raised my eyebrows. Sam Uley wanted to talk to me? Why on earth would the Quileute Tribe alpha and chief want to speak with me of all people? The vampire girl? "Why?"

"How the hell should I know?" Jacob snapped back. His shortness was not new or unexpected, but his tone was a lot harsher. I didn't understand where it came from… or maybe I did and didn't admit it.

"Don't you have like… wolf telepathy or something? Can't you guys hear everyone else's thoughts?" I demanded, feeling quite satisfied with myself that I had cornered him.

His eyes widened for a moment as if where shocked that I remembered that little detail. However, they soon narrowed into slits and he let a growl rip from his bare chest. "Come on, let's just go." He grabbed my upper arm roughly and began to tow me along behind him, but I yanked away, probably giving myself a bruise.

"What is your problem!?" I shouted, someone surprised by my own volume. "You've had this bug up your butt ever since I got here! What is up with you!?"

He turned to face me, eyes blazing with anger. "What is wrong with _me?!_ I'm not the one kissing vampires! It just pisses me off that you just run around and play with everyone's hearts like we're boy toys are your dispense!"

Those words stung me, and I just stood there, struggling to hold in tears. "If you really feel that way…" I whispered, turning to leave.

"Wait, Bella," he called suddenly, running so he stood in front of me. "I'm sorry, Bella! Really, I am… I just… I'm so mad these days. I'm mad that you didn't choose me when I could have made you happy, and I'm mad that instead of going off with a human, or even another werewolf, is that you chose a vampire… It's not good for either of us Bells… I'm asking—I'm begging you—reconsider."

I shook my head solemnly. "No, Jacob. That's something I cannot do…"

He opened his mouth to say something else, when a large gray wolf emerged from the trees. It was large to me at least, but quite a bit smaller than Jacob and the other members of his pack. Jacob let out a groan. "We're coming, Leah!" he growled.

The wolf bared its teeth before turning around and dashing off into the forest, allowing the foliage to envelope it once more.

"Leah?" I couldn't stop myself from asking.

"Yeah, Leah Clearwater, Harry's daughter," he answered beginning the way toward Sam's house.

I followed him the best I could even though I had to take three little girly steps for every one massive werewolf-like step he took. "Wow… When did Leah become a werewolf and join the pack?" I queried, shoving my hands in my pockets—a habit of mine when I was around Jacob.

"Right after her dad died. Her brother, Seth, also phased. He's only fifteen and the youngest we've had. Right now Sam is keeping him home studying because he's so young, but he's chomping at the bit. I really wish that it was Leah who'd stay home, though," he muttered.

I shot him a stern look. "Don't be such a guy," I said. "Leah can't help what she is."

He shook his head. "It's not a chick thing, Bella. Honestly. It's more like a… triangle thing. We all have to live the Sam-Leah-Emily pain fest."

"What do you mean?"

"Sam used to date Leah before he phased. After he did, it took them a while to patch things up since he had gone missing during the first few days of his new life. He cut off all relations with her so he could protect her—like I did to you when I found out what I was," he reminded me. A sharp pain shot through my chest. It felt out-of-place now, and unnecessary, but it was still there. I didn't know why it affected me so.

"But anyway, they finally patched it up, and Leah's cousin Emily decided to come over for a visit. When she came over Sam just… fell in love with her and had to dump Leah to be with her," he tried to explain.

"Well… I guess it does kind of choose you sometimes," I whispered. I didn't agree with Sam's irrational decision about breaking up with Leah without even thinking too hard about it.

"This isn't just some crush, Bella," Jacob said, focusing more on the forest around us than me. "Sam… imprinted on Emily."

"Imprinted? Do I even wanna know what that means?"

He smiled slightly at that. "Imprinting is a wolf thing… It's… It's when you see… _her._ Suddenly… everything changes. It's not gravity holding you to the Earth anymore… it's her. You would do anything… be anything for her," he said. His voice was almost bleak, and his eyes were clouded over with some kind of wisdom for the subject as if he knew what he was talking about.

Pain jolted through me at the thought, but I had to ask. "Sounds like you… know the feeling… Have you… imprinted?" I knew it wasn't me—it couldn't be. Still, the idea of him imprinting on another girl crushed my heart for a reason I was unaware of.

He sighed and looked away. "You'd know if I had."

I nodded slowly. "How much father is it to Sam's?" I asked quietly. During our discussion, we had come a long way. We were bound to be somewhere nearby.

Jacob nodded. "It's right up ahead."

I could see the small red house coming into view. It was just as I remembered, a small, two-bedroom house seated in the middle of the forest close to the main village in the reservation. When we arrived, a few of the pack members were either seated on the porch or running around in the front yard like a bunch of playful puppies wrestling.

"Hey!" the one I remembered to be Jared called. He rose from his seat on the porch's steps and jogged over. "Look who showed her face back in wolf town, huh?"

Embry made his way over to up as well. "Vampires giving you more trouble, Bella?" he asked, punching Jacob in the arm gently… for a werewolf.

Their words could be taken in a negative way, but their voices were light and teasing. I hoped that after all this time I was still welcome here.

"It is nice to get a break from Jacob's obsessive inner monologue," Quil teased, walking up. "'I wish Bella would call!'" he said, trying impersonate Jacob, and nudging him with his elbow.

"'I wish Bella wouldn't call!'" Embry threw in.

"'Maybe I should call Bella,'" Paul laughed.

"'Maybe I should call Bella and hang up!'" Jared finished as all four boys doubled over laughing.

Jacob rolled his eyes and glared as his pack-mates. "Okay. You can shut up now."

The bushes close to the house parted and an Native American woman emerged wearing a ragged tank top and shorts. Her black hair was cut short and it framed her face. She just glared at me. "If you're here to torture Jacob some more, feel free to leave," she muttered before walking off past us.

"Just leave her alone, Leah," Jacob growled.

The woman gave me an indignant sniff before running off into the forest. "Ignore her, Bella," Jared said, turning away from us. "Leah's been a bitch ever since Sam—"

"Ever since I what?" a familiar, loud, authoritative voice asked. We all looked to see Sam standing on the porch of his house, his arm wrapped firmly around his wife's waist. Emily smiled kindly at me, her hands rested on her slightly extended belly. It appeared that Emily and Sam were finally adding to the werewolf population.

"Oh… nothing… Alpha Sam… sir," Jared said submissively, keeping his gaze on the ground.

The alpha let out a chuckle before descending the stairs. "Nice to see you back on familiar territory, Bella," he greeted me with a small smile.

"Yeah… For once I'm glad that no vampires are around to cause tension," I murmured. It was the truth. As much as I loved my vampire family, the werewolves were my friends, and I felt out-of-place with them when any vampires were around. "It feels like I can actually be myself."  
"Indeed," Sam agreed, shooting a quick glance at Jacob. "Bella, why don't you, Jake and I go for short walk? I need to speak with you about something."

Apprehensive, I nodded. Jacob shot me a reassuring smile. Why was I so worried? They wouldn't do anything to hurt me, and if they did, they knew the consequences. Caius would have them all killed without asking any questions. I was perfectly safe.

Sam led the way toward the beach, slightly ahead of Jacob and I who walked side-by-side. Once we were a good distance away from Sam's house and the pack, the alpha turned to me. "Bella, I need to know information about the vampires. I know that your… er… mate assured me that he would take care of the situation, but I can't allow my people to be in any danger. I insist that we either help them fight, or at least know their motives and plans so we can defend La Push if necessary."

Taking a deep breath, I looked at the gravel beach. "I can't tell you anything, Sam. It's not my place. Ask Caius, or one of the Cullens if you need information." I didn't want to say anything that would put our operation in danger, or anger Caius. Plus, I didn't really know much about what the plan was, or when the army was coming.

Sam let out an annoyed snarl. "I don't have time to play games with you, Bella. I need to know this information."

"And you need to ask someone else!" I shot back, my anger bursting. "I don't know what's going on, and it's probably better that I don't! Ask someone else, but I'm going home where stupid werewolves don't hound me for information!"

As I turned to leave, Jacob grabbed my arm. "You can't go Bella!" he cried, sounding almost desperate. "Please! I miss you, and I know I'm mean and cruel and say bad things, but I need you!"

I turned to face him, my heart cracking. "Jake…"

"Please, Bella! I love you. I love you with all my heart, and I want you to choose me instead of that filthy leech!" he practically begged. "Please, Bella…"

"I can't do that, Jake. I… I love him," I said, my voice cracking slightly. No matter how pissed off at him I was, I hated hurting him. I hated breaking his heart like this. I was a selfish bitch. "I love him, and I need him… Besides, you haven't imprinted on me. What if someday, your special lady comes along and we're married and have kids? Would you just divorce me to go live with her? You would have to dump me one day like Sam did to Leah when he found Emily."

Sam flinched at this, but I could care less. Jacob stared at me, looking tortured. He couldn't deny the truth. "Is that it?" he choked out. "You won't choose me because of stupid imprinting?"

"That's not the only thing, Jacob!" I hissed, getting annoyed. "I loved Caius, and that's why I'm not choosing you, but if I did love you more, that would stop me. You can't deny that it could happen one day. Don't you think I've been hurt enough to then be forced to go through that?"

He looked down. "Whatever. But if you're going to that little fucking thing get between us—"

"It's not _just_ the imprinting, Jacob! It's the fact that I love Caius Volturi, and nothing you can do will ever change that!" With that, I turned around and stumbled clumsily back toward Jacob's house, my cellphone out.

Knowing better than to call Caius and start a World War III between the Volturi and the werewolves, I dialed Alice's number, hoping she would answer.

In less than a second, I heard my vegetarian vampire sister's voice on the other line. "Bella? What's up? I had a hunch that you would call, but couldn't be sure… Damn dogs," she muttered the last part.

"Yeah, damn dogs is right," I said. "Can you, or Jasper, or someone come pick me up? I don't wanna be here anymore. Sam tried to get information about the battle out of me and Jacob's being—"

I was cut off as the cellphone was snatched from my hand. I turned around, expecting to see Jacob, but instead saw the handsome face of a man I didn't know, but by the look of his red eyes, knew that he what species he belonged to. "What are you—?" I began to ask, but a roar cut me off.

"BELLA!" Jacob quite literally roared before phasing and charging toward me.

The vampire, whoever he was, slung me over his shoulder like a rucksack and darted off into the forest.

I had only ridden on Edward's back a few times, and I hated it. I hated this ride even more. I pounded my fists on the vampire's chest and shoulders. "Let… me… go!" I shouted, my voice lost in the wind.

"Shut up!" he snarled, beginning to move faster.

Casting a glance over my shoulder, I saw Jacob, Sam, and what must have been Leah, hot in pursuit. I did the best I could to trip the vampire up, or slow his progress, but to no avail. He was a vampire, and I was a human. Caius should have changed me back in Volterra.

_Caius._ How furious would he be with Jacob for letting this vampire get his hands on me? Would I ever see Jacob again? Or any of my family?

Suddenly, the ground disappeared below the vampire's feet and I realized that we were leaping into the ocean. _Oh, hell no!_ I thought indignantly. "Couldn't you have chosen a drier route to wherever the fuck you're taking me?!" I shouted in his ear.

I thought I heard him laugh, but it wasn't long after that that we hit the water. Like most oceans in Washington, it was fucking cold! He swam back up to the surface to I could breathe and then began moving like motorboat through the water. It felt no different as if I were sitting on an inner tube being pulled along by a speedboat.

It took minutes for us to reach what appeared to be our destination: the Seattle port.

* * *

A/N: Bella's kidnapped. What else is new? Saw Breaking Dawn today and had a BUNCH of inspiration! Will be writing more SOON! :D :D :D

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	13. Chapter 13: Fury

_Salvation - Chapter 13_

Something tells me you people will hate me by the end of this chapter for a variety of reasons... Hmm... oh well! We'll see. Don't worry, the next chapter will be up ASAP because I know that after this one you will be DYING for the next chapter to find out what the fuck is going on! Sorry it's a bit short, but the ending needed to be THERE. XD

I don't own Twilight.

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**13. Fury**

***Caius POV***

My orders were clear, were they not? I told Jacob and his little dog friends to keep an eye on my Isabella and keep her safe… So why on Earth did that mongrel call me during my hunt? I answered the phone, already enraged that _he_ of all people would call me. Why couldn't my Isabella call me instead? Well, I found out why.

"Caius," that was the first time I think he used my real name. "Bella's gone!"

It took me a few moments to wrap my brain around his words. "What do you mean _Isabella is gone?!_" I roared into the phone. By this time, Felix, Demetri, Alec, and Jane were all looking at me with seriously concerned looks.

"A vampire took her," the werewolf said urgently.

"_And how in the hell did that happen?!_" I shouted.

"She was going to leave to go back the Cullens' place because I must've—" the mutt's voice suddenly ceased and was replaced by Alice's.

"I'm sorry, I can't see with all these disgusting half-breeds around!" she said. "I had a feeling something would happen, but I couldn't be sure. Someone must've planned this knowing that I can't see the werewolves… The scent that we found in La Push was the same scent that was in Bella's bedroom. I don't know who took her, but Victoria is definitely behind it."

Letting out another roar, I punched the nearby brick wall, sending it shattering to pieces. "Where did they take her, Alice?! Where is my Isabella?!"

Alice sighed. "Calm down, Caius. There is one thing that is very convenient."

"Oh yeah? And what is that?" I growled.

"They're in Seattle with you guys."

* * *

***Bella POV***

The vampire took me to a small clearing surrounding by flimsy a chain-link fence. There were people inside, but I soon was able to work out that these were not humans. They were vampires, and by the looks of their very bright crimson eyes, newborns. He was taking me to Victoria and her army.

My struggles were in vain; I was no match for his superior strength. I was brought through the hoard of newborns toward a small compound at the other end of the lot. I heard a few of the newborns talking to themselves. One, a medium-height black haired kid who looked about sixteen or seventeen walked up to us. "That pretty little thing a snack for us, Riley?" he asked. He had a powerful, yet playful manner about him, almost like Emmett or Felix, but there was also a darkness to him that frightened me. Just the way he said "snack" made me shiver.

"No, now shut up and get out of my fucking way, Raoul!" the mysterious vampire named Riley snarled.

"What? Are you keeping that pretty little thing for yourself?" another young male vampire teased.

Riley just let out a low growl before darting the rest of the way to the compound. He opened the door and slipped inside. Once inside, my human vision failed me in the darkness. "Have you brought what I asked for?" a familiar high-pitched female voice inquired.

"Yes. I brought her unscathed as you requested, Victoria," Riley answered, dropping me on the hard wooden floor.

A flickering, ghostly like on the ceiling partially illuminated the room without warning. Riley was behind me, but there was a lithe figure standing in the shadows. Just by her long, curly hair, I knew who it was. I worked up enough nerve within me to keep my voice steady enough to speak. "Hello, Victoria."

Victoria stepped into the light. She was beautiful, yet feral and exotic at the same time. Despite the villainous air about her, she was nowhere near as demonic as Athenodora. In fact, she looked rather innocent. Her face was sinister, but somewhat angelic. Her red eyes appraised me with a strange expression, almost as if she was concerned for me. Her long, curly red hair fell to just below her shoulders, and there was not a single strand out of place—typical for vampires. "My, my, my, if it isn't Bella Swan," she more stated than greeted. "Did you enjoy your journey here? Did Riley treat you alright? I told him to treat you with the upmost care." Her voice was high and clear, like a bell. She was anything but threatening. The way she moved and spoke was disarming, but I knew better than to trust this trickster.

"The journey was great. I love being kidnapped and riding on the back of a vampire while he swims through the ocean," I muttered.

She flashed a perfect smile. "Ha, at least you are here now, and I suppose that your darling Edward is after you?" she suggested, a malevolent glint finally appeared in her crimson gaze.

"Edward is dead, and I am no longer with him," I told her firmly.

Her eyes widened with shock. "He is… destroyed? Burned?" she asked laboriously, as if she could not believe it. She turned away from me and gazed out the window. She let out a slow, unsteady breath. Her plans had obviously changed—her whole incentive to create this army and kidnap me was to torture Edward, and now he was gone.

"Yes. My mate did it to him."

She whipped around with her vampire speed. What I saw when she turned was not the woman I had seen before. Her face was contorted with rage. Her entire being was trembling, and her lips were curled backward in an animalistic snarl. "WHO?!" she roared.

"My mate," I answered stubbornly, determined not to give out Caius's name.

Victoria let out another roar that was vaguely human-like and grabbed me by the throat. She held me up, about three feet off the ground toward the roof. "A NAME!" she screamed. "GIVE ME A FUCKING NAME!"

"Never…" I gasped between her increasingly tight grip. "You'll never get it out of me, so just let me go."

"Was it one of those fucking dogs?!" she spat. "Those _monsters_ who killed Laurent?!"

"No," I breathed. "They had nothing to do with it."

"Oh, so it was a vampire, then?! I'll search every corner of the globe until I find him and then I'll rip you apart to pieces in front of him!"

"Good luck with that," I grunted. "He's probably already on his way here with an army of his own. I'm not worried. He'll find me."

Then, she smiled; an evil, twisted smile. "Find you, he shall…" she practically purred. "Whether alive, or dead, I have yet to decide, however. For now, though… I think I shall keep you alive… Riley, take her out to Raoul and his friends. I'm sure they'd enjoy a new plaything. Make sure they understand, however, that they are not _under any circumstances_ aloud to drink from her. I don't care how many fucking orgasms they can go through if they bite her, they are to leave her human and alive, understood?"

Victoria dropped me when she was finished and Riley stepped forward to retrieve me. "Yes, Victoria," he said before grabbing me by the foot and swinging me over his shoulder. "I'm sure Raoul will be grateful for your generosity."

Riley carried me out of the compound and back into the lot. My breathing was embarrassingly loud, but I couldn't really help it with the fear I was feeling. I had been at the mercy of Edward once, but the idea of having vampire after vampire force themselves on me was too terrifying. It brought back horrible, painful memories that I would have much rather swept under the rug and left forgotten.

I could hear footsteps as people approached. Riley dropped me on the cement ground. "Raoul and company," he said before kicking me softly in the thigh. "Merry Christmas."

"Awesome!" the black-hair boy laughed. He bent down and picked me up.

"But I have some rules for you to follow," Riley said, putting his hand tightly on the boy's shoulder. "You are not to bite, or harm her in anyway, or it's instant death for you and your cronies, got it? She is not to be soiled apart from your sexual games with her, got it?"

Raoul rolled his eyes. "Fine… You ruin all the fun, you know that, Riley?"

"I don't make the rules, or the decisions, Raoul!" he growled. "Just do as your told, will you? Because if she's hurt or killed, it's not just your ass, but mine too, so be fucking careful about it!"

As Riley turned away, Raoul and his gangbanger friends brought me over to small building on the other end of the lot. They took me inside and left the lights on so I could see nothing. I could only gasp and anticipate where the next hand would come from as my clothes were roughly yanked away from my body. My hands and feet were bound once I was bare to them, and I finally felt something get tied around my eyes. After that, I could vaguely make out a light flick on.

Wolf-whistles sounded around me as they examined me in the light. They regarded me in vile ways as if I couldn't hear them. An icy hand grasped my breast and squeezed tightly, causing me to yelp. "Stop it!"

"Someone shut her up!" Raoul's voice hissed.

Something warm and smelly was shoved into my mouth—probably a sock. I felt a hand ghost between my thighs before rubbing my clit. I whimpered, feeling the tears well in my eyes. _Caius…_ I thought sadly. _Please, please, PLEASE hurry!_

As if on cue, I heard screams sounding outside. Someone shouted for Riley. The guys who had been preparing to assault me in horrific ways ceased what they were doing. One went outside to check. He never returned. The next thing I knew, I heard the door come crashing inward. "GET AWAY FROM MY ISABELLA YOU FUCKING SONS OF BITCHES!" I heard my mate roar.

I tried to call out for Caius, but the sock in my mouth ceased me from doing so. I heard screams and gasps as Caius began his attack on my assaulters. The cracking of porcelain echoed throughout the tiny room, and once I heard the last headless body hit the floor with a thud, cool hands began to untie me. I waited while he removed all that bound me, a scream that was made up of more than relief than fear rose in my throat. When he finally removed the sock, and the piece of cloth that had been tied in front of my eyes, I burst into sobs.

Caius collected me into his arms and held me close. "Shh, shh," he soothed, rubbing my hand and hair whilst kissing my face. "It'll be alright, my love. It will be alright. They are gone now and will never harm you again. I promise. I am so, so, so sorry you had to go through his for a second time. It is all my fault! I should have came to you the moment I knew you were in Seattle instead of waiting for reinforcements."

"No… you would have been… killed if you… if you… didn't… wait…" I managed to get out between my hysterical sobs.

"Bella!" my sister's voice shouted.

I turned to see Alice standing in the doorway with a robe. She was always so thoughtful. Just as she crossed the threshold, another shape jumped down behind her. "ALICE!" I screeched, but it was too late. The figure punched my dear Alice in the back of the head. My sister's headless body fell to the floor and her head rolled toward Caius and me. My mate let out a lion-worthy roar and stood to his feet.

Standing in the doorway was Victoria, Riley, and Rosalie Hale.

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A/N: DUN-DUN-DUH! Next chapter will be out soon, and SOOO sorry for the short length. I hate posting short chapters cuz I feel like you guys deserve so much more, but it had to be this way, and I felt that it was pointless to drag these scenes out any longer than needed.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	14. Chapter 14: Manifestation

_Salvation - Chapter 14_

*POSSIBLE SPOLERS in the note below*

Okay... I'm not sure if people will like this chapter, but I feel that it is time. Many people wanted Caius and Bella to have kids, but after writing the same plot line in various other fanfictions, so I decided that here, we wouldn't. Don't worry, though. There will be children coming into play later on, just not in the way you may think. I also know that people were probably not seeing it coming, but it happened. Oh well.

I also hoped the back story with Edward and Rosalie explains things more. I think that it makes sense, but that's for you people to decide.

This story is FAR from over, so don't even worry about it. :)

I don't own Twilight.

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**14. Manifestation**

Caius glared at Rosalie would absolute outrage. "You lying, treacherous bitch!" he spat, clenching his hands tightly into fists. "I know you had it out for my Isabella from the beginning, but I never thought you would stoop this low! You are the worst of us, Rosalie Cullen! You give vampires a bad name, and your actions are more monstrous and sickening than many of the things I have seen in my three thousand years upon this Earth! I can understand disagreements and flat-out disliking someone, but to go against your own coven—your family—is absolutely outrageous! I hope you burn in hell, for what you have done to your family, and my Isabella!"

Rosalie just narrowed her eyes. "You don't understand what I went through, Caius!" she growled.

"Don't I?" he asked darkly. "You were raped the night Carlisle found you, and then you set my mate up to meet the same fate?! You disgust me, you pathetic little bitch!"

"She killed Edward on the inside!" Rosalie growled.

"I don't care what she did, she is still your family!" Caius growled.

"You two can bicker later," Riley growled. His gaze then flickered to Victoria. "Give me the word and I'll take him out."

Caius laughed. "You? Take me out? That's rich! A green werewolf could make short work of you! Do you have any fucking idea who I am, kid?"

Riley's face faltered for a moment before hardening once more to a look of grim determination. "It doesn't matter who you are, I follow the orders I'm given!"

Caius sighed. "You would have made a good Volturi guard."

Victoria's eyes widened slightly before going as wide as they possibly could. "Caius…" she breathed.

"Who?" Riley demanded, looking at her urgently.

"Caius Volturi, king of the vampire world, and the human girl you dared to kidnap and abuse is my mate!" my mate growled.

"Fuck…" Riley breathed.

If the moment hadn't been so inappropriate, I probably would have laughed at his reaction. Riley was screwed and he knew it. "Dammit! Why the fuck didn't you tell me, Victoria?!" he snarled.

"I didn't know!" she defended. "I thought the human was still with Edward!"

"You thought wrong," Caius snarled. "And now you shall pay the ultimate price for your… mistake."

Victoria backed up. I could see the fear on her face as Caius approached her. "Riley!" she snarled. "Get him!"

The younger man shot her a bewildered look. "No way, Victoria! You told me stories about the Volturi! He'll kill me! He'll get all of us!"

Caius chuckled darkly. "Smart boy, too bad you didn't find out sooner."

Slowly, I began to move closer to Alice's head in an attempt to save my sister. Rosalie, seeing my movements let out a snarl and lunged for me, taking Caius off-guard. She tackled me to the ground, her hands closed tightly around my neck. I heard Caius let out a roar as Victoria and Riley simultaneously attacked him. Rosalie smiled down at me sinisterly. "Why?" I choked out, struggling for breath between her iron-tight grip.

"Why? You dare to ask me why, you pathetic little human!" she snorted.

"Yes! I do! Why the hell do you hate me so much! What the hell did I ever do to you?!" I snarled at her. For the first time, I believe that I actually _sounded_ like a vampire. The way my voice came out sounded like a lioness snarling at a rival. Maybe being around Caius and all his roaring was beginning to rub off on me. I just hoped that one day I could be as majestic and as graceful as him so I would be worthy to be his lioness.

"Because you took _him_ from me!" Rosalie growled. "You were a distraction to him! He was getting bored of our games, so he decided to mess with you and try to make me jealous! But then you became more than a toy to him; you became an obsession. Don't you see, you puny little human?" she sneered. "Edward never loved you! He loved me, but when he began to flirt with you, became addicted to your scent! He was under this foolish notion that he loved you more, and he didn't! He only loved the blood that coursed through your veins! It was because of _you_ Edward left me!"

I lay there beneath her, dumbfounded. "But… what…" I trailed off, unable to articulate the myriad of questions that were pulsing through my mind. "Emmett…?" I managed to get out.

"Emmett is a blundering fool!" Rosalie growled. "And he was to me the same you were to Edward—a distraction. I never loved him. He was just a source of amusement for me. Whenever Edward would piss me off or I got bored of him, I'd fuck Emmett just to piss him off. Emmett was too stupid to ever even figure out what Edward and I were doing. No one—not even that stupid little 'seer' and her empathetic boyfriend that Carlisle dragged in—could see the feelings we harbored for one another."

"So then…" I trailed off again. My mind was almost completely blown by the revelation I just received. I was right about one thing: Edward only wanted me for my blood, but I never would have suspected he and Rosalie were mates… no one even knew it! Everyone thought that she and Emmett were smitten to each other but it was all just an act on her part… Poor Emmett.

"Edward and I kept our trysts a secret. At first, we hated each other, but when Edward decided to leave during his 'rebellious stage', as he called it, I followed him. Of course, no one ever tells that part of the story. They think I just wanted to go out and start my own life, but I followed Edward. I told him that he was an asshole for leaving and that he should apologize to Carlisle and Esme, but he refused to look back. We got into a fight and it ended abruptly with him kissing me, and grinding against me in an alley. We went to a hotel room after that, and it just… began," Rosalie explained.

Caius was hissing and snarling behind us. I risked a glance at him to see that he was being restrained by not only Riley and Victoria, but more newborns as well. I could tell that they were all distracted by my scent… If I could distract them further to get them away from Caius, he could break Riley and Victoria's hold…

"After that, we had our little… sessions away from prying eyes. The two of us would go on a hunting trip in a secluded place and get down and dirty. Carlisle and Esme didn't even have any idea what was going on! Then again, I always thought those two idiots were going senile way before I was even born. The day I found Emmett, I had been on one of my hunting trips with Edward and he had pissed me off, so I left. I found Emmett being mauled by a bear and killed the bear. I can't deny that I thought Emmett was cute. I wondered how pissed Edward would be if I brought him back and made him my new boy toy, so I did. And believe me, Edward was livid," the blonde vampire continued.

My mate was struggling fiercely. I knew why. I wasn't stupid. The moment Rosalie was done with her story, that was it for me. She would kill me, or worse, torture me, and that would be it. All this… everything Caius and I had endured—everything I endured—would have all been for nothing.

"I played with Emmett, and I played with Edward, both on a regular basis. Edward came to except the fact that Emmett was in my life now, and got over it. Then, Carlisle brought in that annoying pixie and her Emo man slave. Since Alice could see the future and Jasper could sense our emotions, we had to especially careful. We soon found out how Alice's visions worked and were able to work around them, but it wasn't easy. Edward and I had cold turkey for months.

"Things were going great and then… and then _you_ came along! He and I had another fight over Emmett, and then he met you. Your scent was like a drug to him, as I believe he told you once. He was addicted to it like he was some kind of heroin addict. Not to mention, your existence annoyed the hell out of me. He began to take a greater interest in you than in me. I think a part of him hated himself for it, and hated himself for hurting you and dragging you into this, but in the end, he couldn't put aside his own selfishness. He was going to kill you, you know?"

Caius let out a roar at this.

"Yes, he was going to marry you right after you graduated and take you on a honeymoon in some secluded location, fuck the shit out of you, and then bite you. That's the thing about vampires taking human partners. If they're fucking a human and they bite them during the orgasm, it gives them more pleasure than ever imagined, and with you being his singer, and with your potent, sweet, delicious blood, it would have been unbelievable. That's what he wanted from you. It was the only thing he wanted," Rosalie said.

"But then, after what happened with Jasper, Carlisle convinced him that he should stop before he hurt you anymore. I think that Carlisle had figured out what exactly Edward planned to do with you, so we left. Edward was a wreck without you. I tried to start up our games again, but he refused. You ruined him. You tainted him. You _spoiled_ him! Suddenly, I wasn't good enough anymore! I don't understand how he could pick a stupid, gullible, downright pathetic _human_ over me!" she screeched.

"And then, as if it wasn't enough, you went, and like the little whore you were, shacked up with that guy!" she hissed, jabbing a finger at Caius. "And that did it! Edward couldn't _stand_ it when he saw it in Caius's mind! In his eyes, Caius had ruined you beyond repair. He couldn't claim your virginity, and he was outraged—that was all a part of the pleasure he would receive. So then, he took you by force to prove to me that he _would_ fuck you before he died, and he did. And then your mate killed him! And now, I will kill you! I will kill you, but first I will break every bone in your body expect your spine, so you can _feel_ everything! Then, I will drain you, and burn your corpse right in front of your beloved mate! And to finish it off, my friend Victoria and her newborns will kill Caius, and the rest of the Volturi idiots who came."

"Never!" Caius snarled. "You will never harm my Isabella!"

Rosalie took my arm in her hands and snapped both bones in half. I screamed in pain, throwing my head back. I looked around—I needed something to cut myself with. I needed to bleed so my blood would distract the newborns. Maybe they would get to me, and maybe they would kill me, but at least Caius and the Volturi would be safe.

Caius was fighting with all his might to get free while I still howled in pain over my broken arm. Despite the wave of intense pain, I could think clearly… for now. Before, and if, I blacked out from the pain, I needed to bleed… I needed to…

Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a piece of glass on the ground that must have come from a shattered window. Rosalie wasn't looking at me, instead she was smirking at Caius. "Do you like it when I hurt her?" she sneered. With my good arm, I reached for the glass, and tried to pick it up. Using my fingernails, I got hold of it, finally able to quiet down, tears streaming down my face. I took the glass in my good hand and looked at my broken left arm. "Caius…" I whimpered, my voice failing between the pain and the severity and most likely outcome. "I love you…"

Caius must have seen the glass shard in my hand. "ISABELLA, DON'T!" he shouted, but it was too late. With one swift motion, I impaled my arm with the piece of glass. Blood welled on my skin from the wound and soon went trickling down my arm. Rosalie froze and gazed down at me with a mixed look of astonishment and horror. The newborns, smelling my blood, all made a mad dash for my body.

Rosalie darted out of the way before the hoard collapsed on her. In the frenzy, one of the newborns grasped me by the throat and threw me against the wall, only to be torn away by another. I dropped to the ground and slammed by head on the concrete floor of the compound. I could see Caius struggling against the newborns still, but now there were more vampires there, helping him. There would be no help for me.

Then I felt it; it was as if a white-hot branding iron had been pressed down on my ankle. I screamed as loud as humanly possible. There was a snap, and I knew that whoever had my leg had broken it. The pain was intense, but the lightheaded feeling I soon received began to overpower it. They were draining me… draining my blood…

Hallucinations, dreams and reality all became one blurred mess. One minute, I was in the compound quite literally getting the life sucked out of me by newborns, and then next I was back in Forks with my father. Charlie, Jake and Billy Black all sat on my dad's front porch. We were laughing, for what reason I don't know. Jacob held my hand and would occasionally rub his thumb across my knuckles in a sensual way that gave me… pleasure.

As quickly as that vision began, it ended, and I was back in the compound. Someone was indeed holding my hand and stroking my knuckles, but I couldn't tell who. Voices were all around me—male voices—but I was in almost a drunken stupor and to a point where I couldn't understand the words they spoke. I wish I could see who they were, but I could only see ghostly black shadows. "—Artery has been severed!" I heard someone shout clearly.

"Carlisle, the venom!" another voice sounded to my right.

"Should we let it change her?"

Suddenly, I slipped out again. This time, I was back in Volterra. Jane was there, and she was wearing an adorable pink dress. She looked more like a girl than ever. She smiled at me kindly before grasping my hand and taking me into the courtroom. Aro, Caius, and Marcus sat at their chairs, and they all wore older clothes like they had been wearing in Carlisle's painting. They all turned to me and smiled kindly. When I looked down, I was wearing a long, tawny-colored dress that had some parts that were a pearl-color, and then others that were a dark crimson. My skin was pale white and flawless. I was a vampire. When I looked back up at the courtroom, it was full of people—vampires. They had come to see me become a member of the Volturi.

With a white flash, it was gone and the burning pain replaced it. I cried out at the pain. "STOP IT!" Jasper's voice snarled to my right.

"Get out if you can't take it," Carlisle said urgently. "Go."

"WATER!" I shouted incoherently. "Water… burning… me… fire… need… now… water… help…"

"She's going to go out again!" Alice's voice sounded from my life. She was alive.

And I did just as Alice predicted. However, it didn't seem long until I was awake again, screaming from the burning sensation… no sensation is too polite and nice of a way to put it. Screaming from the burning hell I was experiencing is more like it. "Stop!" I screamed, feeling the tears roll down my cheeks. "Stop it! Please… please… PLEASE!" I screeched, my entire body lurching upward with the sudden increase of the pain in my chest. If you've ever eaten hot food too quickly and swallowed it, and then felt that uncomfortable fire within what seemed like your core, imagine that a thousand times worse.

"How much longer?!" Caius demanded from my side. He sounded almost hysterical. _Caius, don't be upset,_ I thought sadly, wishing that he could hear my silent plea.

"Another day yet," Carlisle sighed.

"I hope it ends soon…" Caius whispered, his voice coming out half-strangled.

I wished I could be quiet. I wished I could stop my screams, but I just could not hold them in.

I don't know how long I lay writhing in pain. Sometimes, I would slip in and out of consciousness, giving those who waited anxiously by my side a break from my screams. During one of my blackouts, I was moved back to the Cullen house. Even though I was never in the right mind when I came out of my small comas, there was no sign of Rosalie.

Finally, when I was just awakening from another one of my slips into the recesses of my mind, I felt the firey pain begin to subside. It faded until it was just a tiny stinging in my heart, and finally, it ceased.

"Did you hear it?" Caius's frantic voice sounded from my side.

"Yes," Carlisle whispered.

"She'll open her eyes in ten seconds," Alice said from somewhere nearby.

A small feeling of dread crept over me. I had survived my ordeal with the newborns, but at a price. I knew what I was. Just as Alice predicted, I opened my eyes exactly ten seconds later and sat up. Whoever who had set up my room had placed a mirror at the foot of the bed I had been placed on. I saw my new reflection for the first time, and by the flawless features and blood-red eyes, I knew what I was.

I was a vampire.

* * *

A/N: Don't hate me.

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	15. Chapter 15: New

_Salvation - Chapter_ 15

Okay, the beginning author's note I originally wrote I deemed to contain too many spoilers to post at the top of this chapter, so you will find the explanations to many of the questions you may have about this chapter at the end. Sorry for any inconvenience. :)

This chapter is the longest I've ever written for this story, or any fanfiction I believe. It deals with a lot of themes and plots that will be unfolding in the future. Bella is a vampire now, and the chapter title gives you a good idea about what this chapter will mainly be about. Enjoy, my friends, but dont' forget to read the ending note. Please. It is relatively important if you want to get a better understanding of this story and what will happen next.

I do not own Twilight. I just love messing with its characters.

* * *

**15. New**

Even though I was overwhelmed by my new reflection, I was more amazed at how clear everything was. I could see every pore on my face, and every strand of fabric that made up my dark blue dress, and every small speck of dust on the floor. Outside, if I focused hard enough, I could see a dewdrop sliding down a green oak leaf. It was as if I had opened my eyes for the first time and could truly take in the world. I looked around at all the objects in the room and barely focused on the people within it even though I could feel their appraising eyes on me.

"She appears very controlled…" Jasper murmured from nearby.

"She's amazing," Caius agreed.

I looked up to see my mate and the Major standing side-by-side. The scarred vampire was gazing at me with apprehensive eyes, while Caius was just watching me with a love-struck face as if he had just seen the most beautiful, amazing sight in the world. I could tell that Jasper was trying to keep me calm, but I wasn't sure why. I felt absolutely fine, so why was he so worried?

"Bella!" Alice squealed darting into the room. She ran over without warning and hugged me.

"Alice!" Jasper hissed before yanking his wife away from me before I had the chance to return her friendly greeting.

"Jasper, would you calm the fuck down?" Caius snarled. "Bella is in complete control."

Jasper remained tense, his arms folded tightly across his chest and his jaw locked. "She's a newborn. She's capable of anything. Don't forget what you've seen them do, Caius," he growled. "She might seem docile in tame now, but you know that monster she's able to become in less than the blink of an eye."

"Jasper—" Alice began, but her husband cut her off.

"I don't wanna hear it Alice! I know what newborns are like, and I know how they can be! I don't want you to rush Bella like that again. She could have freaked out on you and punched off your head…" he trailed off, his face suddenly becoming extremely pained. "Alice… I…"

Alice's face changed as well to one of sympathy. She rested her hand on his shoulder. "Jazz… It's… It's okay. I'm still here."

"You almost weren't," he choked out. "I can't… I can't lose you again, Alice… I can't… I'm not… strong enough. I'm not."

I watched the exchange between the two of them as Alice took his face in her hands and brought it to hers. They didn't kiss like I suspected they would; Alice just rested her forehead on his. "I love you, Jasper Whitlock," she breathed. "And I will always be here with you."

"I know… you try but… You're not invincible Alice. None of us are," he whispered.

"I know, but I can't have you take all the risks for me—it would only put you in more danger," Alice persisted.

"We'll talk about this later," Jasper murmured before looking to me. His eyes narrowed slightly, and I felt a hint of annoyance rise within me. He didn't have to be so rude.

"Isabella," my mate breathed.

I looked over at him and, again, it was as if I was seeing him for the first time. He was more gorgeous and dazzling than I remember. "Caius…" I whispered, rising from the bed to I stood before him. He was absolutely flawless—not that he hadn't been before—but I finally felt as if I was seeing him for the first time. "You're… beautiful."

He smiled weakly. "Have you looked in a mirror lately, _mia amore_?" he asked quietly. "You're beauty far surpasses mine."

I smiled and opened my mouth to speak when I heard screaming from downstairs. It belonged to a woman. My eyes widened. "What's going on?!" I gasped, looking toward the staircase. "Is someone hurt?"

"Someone will be," Caius muttered, his eyes narrowing to slits.

I arched a hesitant eyebrow, only to have him grab my hand gently. "Come on, love. Your throat is probably killing you. We should hunt."

Warily, I followed Caius as he led the way down the stairs. When we reached the bottom, Esme and Carlisle greeted us. Emmett sat nearby on the couch, his head in his hands. I couldn't imagine what he must've felt.

"Glad to see you awake, Bella," Esme said warmly.

I flashed her a small smile. "Thank you. I'm glad to be awake."

Just then, the door burst open and Jane, Alec, and Felix appeared. "Hey, Bella!" Felix said, smirking at me. He looked me up and down, eyeing the V-neck blue dress I wore. I spotted Caius glaring at him furiously, watching the guard's eyes as they traveled up and down my body. "Lookin' hot, I see. Immortality suits you… very, very well," he nearly purred.

Caius growled and Jane smacked the tall vampire's arm, but he just gave them an innocent look. "Um… thank you, Felix," I said self-consciously, leaning into Caius. "I think."

"Don't forget she's the strongest vampire in the house," Alec pointed out, smiling furtively at me. "She could easily kick your ass!"

I smiled, pleased by that remark. "Yeah," I agreed, holding my head up high. "I could beat you up, Felix!"

Felix laughed and waved his hand at me dismissively. "Yeah, sure, little sister," he laughed. "As if you could beat up the strongest vampire on the face of the Earth!"

Caius smirked darkly. "Who knows, Felix? We might have a new strongest vampire by the end of the day," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist tenderly.

Felix's eyes widened. "Oh hell no!" he shouted, grabbing my arm. "You, me, arm wrestling match, kitchen table—now!"

"Um, Felix," Esme said, sounding almost out of place in our conversation. "Perhaps you should take it outside… I'm quite fond of that table, you know."

Before Felix could answer her, Caius threw his arm off me. "Let Isabella feed first."

"Yeah," he muttered. "Give her an advantage. I see how it is!"

Once Caius spoke about the thirst, I became aware of the burning pain in my throat. Subconsciously, my hand went to my neck and cupped it. My throat felt as dry as a desert, and just as hot as one. It felt as if my esophagus was burning in the fires of hell. I craved sustenance that would lessen the pain, but I knew that the only way I could find such an antidote was to kill. I needed blood.

"She should feed as soon as possible," Carlisle suggested, shooting Caius an almost knowing look. I got a rising suspicion that the two of them were keeping a secret from me.

"Who was screaming earlier?" I blurted out. Apparently immortality had not cured all of my flaws.

Everyone visibly stiffened, and then Emmett rose. "Tell her," he growled.

I turned to face Caius, trying to make my face as hard as possible. "Tell me what? What have you been keeping from me?"

"Darling," he breathed. "I only wished to inform you later after you fed and were at your strongest."

"Tell me and then we'll hunt," I said. "I'm not moving from this spot until I get answers."

Caius sighed. "Stubborn as ever," he muttered. He pinched the bridge of his nose before looking up at me. "Rosalie and a newborn are being kept prisoners in the Cullen basement."

"What?" I breathed, more surprised than outraged.

"We wanted to wait and reserve the bitch for you to dispose of," Felix said simply. "We figured you deserved to."

"And what about the newborn?" I inquired, not taking my eyes of Caius's sullen face. He seemed… upset that he had told me this. I didn't understand why.

"Her name is Bree," Carlisle explained, causing me to look at him. The dashing blond vampire sighed and looked at Caius. "She was the one to bite you originally, but she didn't know what she was doing. She was only reacting on instinct, and only a couple months old I might add. She was one of the first to be pulled off you, and immediately began to apologize. We offered her asylum if she agreed to behave and stay away from you."

"That asylum was not yours to offer! I should have killed that insolent little bitch when I had the chance!" Caius snarled. Now I understood his upset. He was angry that the Cullens had allowed this Bree to live when she had been the one to change me, and nearly kill me.

"I think we all agree that Bella should hunt before she faces Rosalie," Jane interrupted. Despite her small size and young physical age, her voice rung with authority, reminding me very much of Aro. She had an air of regality about her that demanded my respect and attention. I admired her, and her bravery.

"Indeed," Caius agreed. "Bella needs to be prepared."

So, Caius led me out of the house and into the forest. It was only when we reached the tree line that I realized we would not be hunting animals like the Cullens did. Caius was no vegetarian vampire. We were going after humans. Even though it was virtually impossible for vampires to get an upset stomach, mine seemed to twist itself into a knot. I was unsure how I felt about this—taking the lives of innocent people for my sustenance.

Caius must have sensed my hesitation. "Don't worry, Isabella," he murmured lovingly. "It's not much different than hunting animals. Just as humans butcher cows, pigs, and other animals for their food, we must kill humans to drink their blood. Think of it as the circle of life… or the food chain. The lesser, weaker animals are eaten or consumed by the larger animals."

I winced, not liking his explanation of things. "Okay… but can we not hunt in Forks? I mean… for one thing there are the werewolves, and… well I still have friends here."

He sighed, but nodded. "As you wish, my love. We'll go to Seattle."

With that, he darted off, leaving me standing in his wake. I realized that I too possessed this super speed. Instinctively, I followed him, running at this new velocity, and enjoying every moment. I let out a giggle as I watched the forest flying by as if I was in a car, but only going much faster than the speed limit allowed. My heightened sight allowed me to see more of the forest than before. Everything was so much clearer, and more beautiful. I no longer classified the forest as a dismal, boring, dark place, but a vibrant, lively habitat. I could hear squirrels chattering in the topmost branches of the tress, and I could hear a herd of deer moving about through the thick foliage, foraging for food. Everything seemed… alive.

I spied Caius running along ahead of me, and pushed myself faster. I was gaining on him, and by his increase in speed, I knew that he could tell. Lengthening my stride, I easily caught him, and looked over at him. He was smiling at me, and watching me as we ran. "What's the matter, old man?" I teased. "Spend too many years sitting on a throne? Are your legs feeling a bit stiff?"

He gave me a playful glare before tackling to the ground without warning. I growled as he pinned me beneath him and pouted. "No fair, I don't know how to fight yet."

Chuckling, he kissed my nose. "I think that your insult deserved this," he said, giving me that sexy smirk of his.

"I don't know about that," I admitted, locking my arms around his neck, and hitching my legs around his waist. "I'm quite enjoying this."

I felt the bulge in his pants rubbing against me, making me wet. He smirked darkly, but tried to pull away, only to find that I held him firmly in place. Without warning, I flipped him over so I was on top. Now it was my turn to smirk. "I think you've forgotten that I'm stronger than you now," I chuckled.

He pulled my face down to his and kissed my passionately, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth. Groaning, I slid closer, and began to unbutton his shirt. The thirst suddenly didn't seem so important. Every fiber of my being was concentrated on Caius. Maybe we would finally be alone and able to love as equals. Maybe I would finally get to see what my mate was capable of… Or maybe not.

Just as Caius's shirt was unbuttoned and discarded somewhere on the forest floor, I growl ripped from the trees. My head snapped up, and Caius with it. My mate sat in a sitting position with me in his lap, clinging to him. Fear rushed through me alongside what felt like adrenaline (I doubted I had any of that left in my system, but it sure felt like it). It took me a few moments after trying to hide in Caius's chest to realize that I was a vampire. I could take on any werewolf.

Without warning, a large, russet mass burst out of the trees and tackled me to the ground and away from Caius. Instinctively, I grabbed his muzzle and tried to push it away from me. As I did so, I noticed the chocolate-brown eyes that looked down at me with hatred. "Jacob?" I breathed.

The wolf froze and closed his formerly snarling jaws. With his tail between his legs, he disappeared into the bushes and returned as a man in blue jean shorts. "Bella…" he whispered. "Is it… really you?"

"Yes it is!" Caius snarled darting to my side and beginning to look me over for injuries. "Because of you and your moronic pack, my Isabella was bitten and changed into a vampire after nearly being raped and beaten by some goons!"

Jacob stared at me, his face a mixture of shock and horror. I think he was finally beginning to process the gravity of what had just been revealed. "You're… a blood-sucker," he said, more to himself.

"I don't approve of your vocabulary choice," I said, my voice having a sharp point to it. "But yes. I am a vampire now… and Jesus Jake, now I can see what everyone's been talking about! You really do stink!"

Only Caius smiled at my remark. "You're… you're one of them…?" he asked with a sense of complete idiocy, clearly having not yet come to terms with that fact.

"Yes, and I've never been happier," I answered, which was a flat-out lie. Rosalie and some unfortunate newborn were locked in the basement. Emmett was a nervous-wreck. Jasper wouldn't let me near Alice. Carlisle and Esme were trying to be supportive, but I knew they blamed me for all of this. And now, to make matters exceptionally worse: Jacob interrupted Caius and I, who were on the brink of engaging in a certain activity I missed dearly.

"But this… this is all wrong! I should've gotten a year or two more with you," he whispered. The pain in his voice jarred me. I hadn't expected this reaction from him. He stood there, his fist up to his mouth and eyes on the ground.

"She was never yours to have or be with in the first place," Caius sneered. "She is mine, and mine only." There were those words again.

Jacob sighed. "I guess she is," he whispered, looking back up at me.

I looked back at him, the hole in my chest beginning to widen. "Jacob…" I said, my own voice bleak and raspy with pain.

"Get out!" Caius growled.

"No!" I hissed, whipping around to face him, but Jacob was already gone, sprinting off into the trees in the form of a wolf.

My mate sighed. "Let him go, love," he whispered, pressing his lips to my head.

I jerked away from him. "Don't!" I snarled, looking over my shoulder at him. After gazing at his shocked face for a few seconds, I ran after Jacob. It didn't take me long to catch up with him. "Jacob!" I shouted, causing him to turn around. In his wolf form, he looked down at me, a baseball-sized tear running down the side of his face. "Jake…" I reached out to touch him, but he cowered away from me.

My stomach twisted itself into a tight knot. It was over. Jacob couldn't be my friend anymore. "Jacob… please don't do this…" I whispered. I couldn't cry anymore, but that didn't stop me from letting out a tearless sob. "I love you, Jacob." Those were the fateful words that would change my life forever, little did I know it. This would determine my future, and my fate, as well as Jacob's. I wasn't aware of the gravity of them at the time, but I would soon come to regret them.

He shook his head. It was too late for that, and I knew it was. He stepped forward and rested his gigantic head on top of mine. "I'm sorry it took me so long to say it," I cried, burying my face in his fur. Everything seemed to fall into place now—everything made sense. I loved Jacob. I always had, but I loved Caius more. I needed Jacob. I wasn't sure why, but a part of me needed him. I couldn't understand it.

Jacob pulled away. The look in his eyes said: "Me too." Shaking his head, he turned away from me and disappeared into the forest.

* * *

When I returned to Caius, he didn't even acknowledge me, just started off in the direction of Seattle. I ran along behind him, lost in my own thoughts. His silence scared me. I had already lost Jacob, and that knowledge had left me reeling. To lose Caius would just be too much.

As we reached the city limits, Caius slowed. "I suppose I should give you the hunting basics," he began as if the episode with Jacob hadn't just happened. Still, I couldn't help but feel that he was distant from me now. "When the feeding begins, your instincts will take over and you'll know exactly what to do. However, there are rules when it comes to hunting in the cities. We must target unimportant people—alcoholics, drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps—people who won't be missed. And, if it fancies you, you can go after the murderers, rapists, thugs, and be like a vigilante or whatever. By doing this, it helps us remain inconspicuous and it will most likely help the city itself."  
I nodded. "Okay, so… what are we hunting tonight?" I asked, trying to keep myself optimistic, hoping he would forget about the pervious incident.

He smirked slightly and shot me a playful look. "Since you're the maiden on this expedition, you pick."

"Let's be superheroes," I said, unable to stop myself from giggling slightly at my own word choice. Caius's tiny smirk gave me some hope. Maybe he did forgive me. I hoped he did. He didn't understand my relationship with Jacob, and how much we had been through together. He was my family. He was my friend.

He smirked once more. "Okay, let's get to it." Before I could reply, he darted off again and leapt on to a nearby brick building. With complete ease, he scaled the side like he was Spiderman and pulled himself onto the roof. From his new perch, he looked down at me, smirking again. "Coming, newborn?"

Shooting him a playful glare, I did my best to copy his movements, and was able to reach the rooftop, just not as gracefully. When I landed beside me, he gave me a small nod of approval before running off again across the flat rooftop. When he reached the edge, he easily jumped across to the next roof and landed without even a thud. I followed him, doing the same as he, only before he could lead the way, I didn't stop and kept going.

I heard him laugh behind me as he struggled to catch up. We raced across the rooftops before a particularly large building erected itself in our way. Quickly, I climbed the side, surprised I had any traction at all on its nearly smooth surface. Once at the top, I could see nearly the whole city, all the way to the harbor. Caius reached my side a few moments later and took in the new view as well. "Wow… it's so pretty up here," I breathed, smiling.

His smooth hand brushed mine, and I entwined by fingers with his. "It's okay. You're prettier though," he whispered, looking from the cityscape to me. I looked back at him and couldn't help but feel guilty when I saw the unconditional love in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I whispered.

"For what?" he asked, as if he really did forget what happened with Jacob.

"You know what for," I sighed, turning away from him, and pulling my hand from his.

He sighed as well and just wrapped his arms around my waist. "I love you, Isabella. No werewolf will ever change that. I want to be understanding with you when it comes to him. I know that even though he gets on your nerves that you… have feelings for him. I know you love him."

I visibly stiffened. Caius must have seen it, for he immediately began to reassure me. "It's alright, my love. I can accept that. I know it's possible to love more than one person at a time."

"I love you more," I whispered, ignoring his reassurances. "I always will, Caius. Don't ever forget that!"

He nodded. "I know, darling. I know."

Suddenly, a new, delicious scent found its way to my nose. I stiffened again, but this time for a different reason. A low growl rose in the back of my throat as my esophagus seemed to explode into fire. Caius was watching me with wide eyes as I jumped off the roof. In the dim light of the twilight, I was just a curious shadow in the sky, but I could tell that Caius was still concerned by my rashness—not that I cared at that moment. My mind was too preoccupied with the scent.

I spied a group of three men at the mouth of an alley, holding a poor blond girl against the wall. One tried to remove her shirt, and that's when I jumped down into the alley. Upon seeing me, they dropped the girl, allowing her scramble away. They only focused on me now. "Hey, babe," one said, staggering toward me, clearly in a drunken stupor.

"Wanna drink?"

"Stick around for a while."

I grabbed the one who asked me if I wanted a drink and slammed him against the wall, growling. Before he could react, I sank my teeth into his throat. It was too late now to choose anything. I was so absorbed in the taste of the drunk's blood that I forgot about everything around me. I thought that being with Caius and making love with him was the greatest feeling on Earth, but now, I realized how wrong I was. There was nothing greater, nothing more pleasuring than the feeling of hot, warm blood rushing down my throat.

The first man ran dry too quickly, and I just darted to the next. The third one just stood there, his back against the wall with a look of pure horror on his face, but he was too stupid, and too wasted to run. I heard someone jump down into the alley behind me, and my defensive instincts kicked in. Snarling, I whipped around to face Caius, who had been standing behind me. Growling, I grabbed him by the neck and held him up in the air. My mind didn't process that this was Caius. I didn't seem to realize that I loved him, and the last thing I wanted was to hurt him. With all my might, I sent him flying through the wall.

The third man took his chance to run, but I stopped him. I jumped onto his shoulders and knocked him to the cement ground. He let out a brief scream before I snapped his neck and sank my teeth into his neck. When he was finally empty, I rose and turned to face Caius who was standing in the gaping hole, appraising me with black eyes. I finally began to come to terms with what I had just done. I looked down, ashamed. "I'm sorry."

He came forward and wrapped his arms around me. "It's alright. I should have known better than to come up behind you like that. You seem tame when there are no humans around, but you're like any other newborn when there are. Don't worry about it, sweetheart. Your reaction was perfectly natural for a vampire of your age."

Folding my arms across the chest, I turned away from him. "_Caius,_" I said, trying to emphasize the seriousness in my voice. "I threw you through a wall!"

"And I loved every moment of it," Caius said, smirking. "I love it when you demonstrate your power."

I rolled my eyes, only to have him wrap his arms around my waist. Sighing, I didn't look at him. "You should hunt too, while we're here."

"The only prey I want is right in front of me," he whispered darkly, kissing my collarbone. "Or are you the predator now? Are you the supernaturally beautiful succubus that will lure me into my very sensual and pleasant demise?" he inquired, kissing his way up to my earlobe were he gently bit.

I shivered and leaned back into him. He continued, hitting a pressure point in my neck that sent my head and eyes rolling backward. "Oh… God…" I breathed, feeling that familiar fire ignite between my legs.

Caius spun me around and pressed me against the brick alley wall. Without warning, he crushed his lips to mine, running his hands down my sides. I locked my arms around his neck and yanked him closer, thrusting my tongue into his mouth. Caius let out a low growl before yanking my dress up my legs and to my stomach so my lower half was exposed to him.

I growled, tugging on his blondish-white hair, not stopping to think about how animalistic I sounded. I felt Caius's bulge pressing against my wet core, but before I knew it he pulled away. I growled, and tried to pull him back, forgetting my newborn strength. His head collided with mine so roughly, it probably would have caused serious damage if I had been mortal. I crushed my lips to his once more and continued what we'd started earlier, but Caius persisted to try and break my grasp. Fed up with his resistance, I let him, prepared to question him as to why the fuck he suddenly was turned off.

Seeing my enraged face when he pulled away, Caius put his large hands on my small, delicate shoulders. "Darling," he began almost in chastising voice, but then it softened as if he were speaking to a little child. "Now is not the time, nor the place. Believe me, I would love to shove you up against that wall and fuck the shit out of you, but we can't. I need to feed before we return."

I gave him my best glare. "Just because I'm a newborn vampire doesn't mean you have to treat me like that's my mental age. Besides, you started all the touching and kissing!"

He sighed and nodded. "I know, sweetheart. I know. It was wrong of me, and I am sorry I gave you the wrong impression."

"_Hmph!_" was the only response I gave him as he turned away. Together, we carried the three goons in the shadows to a nearby manhole. On the journey there, Caius had been able to snag a stray drunk and made short work of him. Caius ripped off the manhole cover as quietly as he could and deposited it nearby. He proceeded to throw in our victims, leaving me standing there, watching him in awe.

Everything was heighted in this new world—my vision, my hearing, my strength, my speed, and most predominantly: the burning desire to make love. At that moment, as I watched Caius's muscles ripple underneath his shirt and skin as he took care of the men, I felt as if my core was on fire with passion. My arousal was clear and I knew that Caius could smell it. I couldn't imagine how this yearning desire could ever be satisfied, but I would soon find out. I knew Caius had plans for the two of us in that area now that I was much less breakable and I couldn't wait to begin them.

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A/N:

Everything in this chapter has to do with the theme/title. This is all about Bella experiencing these new, heightened feelings: her thirst, he senses, her love for Caius, and her once forgotten love for Jacob.

The love triangle of Bella, Caius, and Jacob will be revisited in later chapters. Now that it's too late, Bella is realizing that she loves Jacob and she already has. As you know in Breaking Dawn, Jacob imprints on Bella's daughter, providing an answer with their almost unnatural obsessions and feelings toward one another. They need each other because Renesmee was a part of Bella at one point, so Bella shared Renesmee's tie and connection to Jacob. However, Bella is a now a vampire and unable to have a child, so there is no way Renesmee will ever be born, so Jacob will not be able to imprint on her, MEANING that his love for Bella will continue until further notice and I figure out what the fuck to do with the mess I've created by altering a storyline. :XD:

Someone recently messaged me, asking for lemons. Don't worry, they'll come. There will be more time in the tower with Caius being his manly dominant self, and we might even discover that Bella has a little bit of a dominatrix (spelling?) in her as well. ;)

The next chapter will deal with Rosalie, as well as Bree.

What do you think? Should I keep Bree alive? I want to, but I don't know yet.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more! :)


	16. Chapter 16: Justice

_Salvation - Chapter 16_

Well... I don't know what to say about this chapter... The ending... ugh. The ending... I have an idea though... People might not like it, but I kinda do... I don't know. We'll wait and see. I just... well Caius and Bella have a lot of rough times in their relationship - as do all relationships and that is my reasoning for it. Bella and Caius are not a real couple and probably never could as far as actual Twilight lore goes, but if they were, I want them to be realistic: loyal, loving, but they have their hard times. Couples fight. Couples want different things - that's the way life is. So I hope that you can look at it from the viewpoint.

I hope you like this chapter because I'm not sure how I personally feel about it.

I don't own Twilight. You know that right? Good.

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**16. Justice**

Caius and I returned to the house once the bodies were disposed of and all evidence absent from the scenes of our crimes. I was somewhat afraid of what the Cullens would think when I returned with these crimson eyes, but another part of me reminded myself that they shouldn't be surprised. My mate wasn't a vegetarian vampire like them, so why should I not follow in my mate's footsteps? After all, it was the natural food source for a vampire.

When we reached the house, Jane and Alice darted out to meet us with Jasper following close behind. The blond vampire immediately placed himself between me and his wife. Caius let out an annoyed huff, while I just stood there, trying to ignore his presence. I did feel somewhat flummoxed and annoyed by his behavior, but at the same time I tried to imagine it from this point of view; he was trying to protect his wife—his one reason for existence on this Earth. Caius would do the same thing to me if necessary, and I to him now that I was an immortal. Still I felt that his behavior was unnecessary.

"We're back," I said awkwardly.

"Jesus, Bella," Jane muttered wrinkling her nose. "You smell like a dog!"

Caius shot the little girl a glare, causing to silence. Jane's demeanor immediately changed, making me feel guilty. It's not her fault she didn't know. Alice shot Caius a stern look before shouldering past her mate and taking me by the arm. "Come now, we have business to attend to!" she chattered, dragging me in the house after her. Her strength hadn't faded.

"Wait, where are you going with her?" Caius demanded, marching after us.

Alice sighed exasperatedly as she towed me into the living room where Carlisle, Esme and Emmett still stood as if they hadn't moved. She turned to face Caius, letting go of my arms and folding her own across her chest. "This is your mate's first wielding of justice; she needs to be wearing something unforgettable that will always keep the image of her in her shining glory in engraved in your mind. I have the perfect outfit picked out for this occasion, and I'm going to go force Bella into it."

I groaned, but Caius relaxed considerably. I could tell he enjoyed the thought of me ripping Rosalie's head off in some sexy dress; he would find me absolutely irresistible, and maybe that's what Alice was going for, I don't know.

"Alice," Jasper hissed under his breath, walking toward us. "You can't be alone with her!"

"Jazz!" Alice growled, shoving him forcefully away. "I love you to death, but your clinginess is beginning to get on my nerves! This is Bella we're talking about! I'll be fine."

"And if you're really concerned, I'll go with them," Jane spoke up suddenly, moving gracefully towards us. The young girl appeared to be floating with the movement of her feet hidden by her cloak. "If Bella tries anything, I'll put her in pain, and it'll be fine."

Caius growled, clearly not liking the idea of me in pain, but Jasper seemed to agree. Shooting Jane a grateful look, Alice grabbed my arm once more and dragged me upstairs to her bedroom. There, lying on the bed splayed out in all its glory, was a large, long dress that looked like it belonged to the Queen of England during the Middle Ages. It looked old-fashioned—large and poofy with even one of those wire things underneath that keep it fluffed out, and even a corset. The main color of the dress was a creamy color with red down the chest to the center of skirt. Black lace masked the red in some parts of the middle, especially around the breasts creating a sexy look. However, I could still not hide my own horror. "Alice! What have you done?!" I nearly shrieked, almost feeling the silky walls of that red and cream penitentiary closing in around me.

Alice giggled manically. "Oh, relax! When Caius sees you in this, he'll be so turned on, he'll probably whisk you away to the bedroom before you can even get to Rosalie! You should be thanking me… Don't growl at me, Isabella Volturi!" she said, seeing my enraged expression.

"It's not that bad," Jane added, stepping between me and the psychic so she could easily stop me if I went for her throat. "You'll look beautiful in it, Mistress."

Sighing, I slumped into the chair by Alice's vanity in defeat. I learned long ago there was no use in trying to talk Alice out of dressing me up like a porcelain doll. However, I could voice my complaints for as loud and as long as I wanted, and I intended to do so. With my resignation acknowledged, the two girls began to clothe me in one layer of my prison at a time. Luckily, being a vampire meant no more pain of having to suck in your stomach while an insanely strong vampire tightens your corset. Once the dress was on me, I thought my hell couldn't get any worse, but I was wrong. The ladies persisted in caking a bunch of makeup on my face, but I wasn't too upset with the end result.

When they were done, I had to admit that I looked pretty damn sexy even though I was suffering on the inside. The colors went with my skin beautifully, and Jane and Alice had added a little color to my face with their magic with the blush, and my lips were as red as blood and matched my eyes, which I supposed was apt. I looked… beautiful.

"You look amazing, Mistress!" Jane cooed. "Master Caius will be breathless once he sees you!"

"Indeed," Alice agreed. She shot me a smug look, which I returned with a glare.

"This changes nothing," I muttered.

She giggled. "Come on! I can't wait for Caius to see you!"

I did like that idea, so Jane helped me into my red high heels while Alice pranced out of the room and down the stairs to announce my "arrival". Just as I had reached the top of the stairs, I heard Alice loudly announce my name. "Isabella Volturi!"

Slowly so I wouldn't fall and forgetting my new, improved balance. My eyes instantly sought out Caius, who stood, one hand on the Cullen's couch as if for support. He gazed up at me with wide, red eyes. "_Magnifica... Mia cara Isabella... Così bella..._" he breathed. Everyone else appeared equally shocked by my new appearance.

Once I reached the bottom of the stairs, I walked slowly to my mate. There was no sound in the room apart from the clicking of my heels and the sounds of silk rubbing against silk. "Caius," I whispered.

Without warning, he swept me into his arms and crushed his lips to mine. At first, I kissed him back, thinking he would stop eventually, but that didn't happen. He kept kissing me over and over, rougher and rougher. "Caius," I managed to gasp between his feverish kisses.

"Hey!" Alice shouted, causing him to stop. "Caius, now is not the time to turn into a caveman and sling your woman over your shoulder like she's a rucksack so you can go running off into your cave for days at a time!"

Caius lowered his gaze, and I could see the embarrassment on his face. "Alice, leave him alone!" I growled, holding my blond king close to me. "The last thing he needs is you humiliating him!"

Alice sniffed indignantly as Caius locked one arm around my waist. "Come, _mia amore,_" he whispered in my ear, his voice dark, and inviting. "Justice needs to be served."

My mate led me to the basement stairs, with all the Cullens, and Volturi members following us. As the basement door creaked open, I heard the enraged screams of a woman start up. At first, I recoiled away from the loud noise, but then I reminded myself that I was indestructible. It was that fact that kept me going strongly down the staircase.

As we reached the basement, my heightened eyesight could now see the blond female vampire lurking in the shadows. She let out a sound that sounded similar to Caius's roar but not as manly and lunged toward us. As Felix and Alec rushed to restrain her, I had Edward flashbacks. While they held her steady against the brick wall, I relived Edward's small "trial" and execution by Caius. This time though, I would be the executioner.

"Rosalie Hale," Caius began in his regal, authoritative voice. "You are charged with treason against the Volturi for your intention to harm and kill the mate of a Master. You were caught red-handed in conspiring with the enemy as well as with the beheading and almost-destruction of Alice Cullen. Do you deny these charges?"

The blond female vampire's lips curled back in a snarl. "I do not."

Caius gave her a disgusted look before motioning for me to come closer. "My mate, the woman you tried to kill, will decide your fate since it is she you have harmed so horribly. So tell us, Isabella," Caius said as I reached his side. "What shall be her punishment for her crimes?"

Taking a deep breath, I looked into the eyes of the vampire that had caused me so much pain, and felt a twinge of pity rush through me. For a moment, I seemed to crawl into her skin and imagine life from her perspective—watching her mate fall for a clumsy, average human girl and become obsessed with her. I couldn't imagine the rage and hatred she must feel for me, and yet, none of this was my fault. I had no idea what Edward was doing, nor did I realize that the two of them were a mated pair. The compassion I felt for her soon faded as I relived her ripping off Alice's head and torturing both Caius and myself as she broke my bones. I could no longer feel pity her. She suffered, but her pain did not call for the awful things she'd done.

"Rosalie Hale, for the crimes you have committed against myself, the Volturi, and Cullen clan, you are hereby sentenced to death," I said, loud enough for everyone to hear. I was surprised at how clear and regal my voice sounded.

"Excellent choice, my love," Caius agreed from my side. I did not risk a look at the Cullens. "Will you do the honors?" Caius asked. There was an eager, mischievous glint in his crimson eyes.

Taking a deep breath, I watched helplessly as Caius stepped back and Alec and Felix forced Rosalie down on her knees before me, and stretched her arms out wide. The scene reminded me frighteningly of drawing and quartering where people found guilty of treason would have their limbs tied to horses and be pulled off as the horses ran in different directions. I shuddered.

For a moment, I stood there, watching the scene in front of me as if it was a dream. I felt like I wasn't there—just an observer. After a few moments, Felix cleared his throat, and I was brought back to reality. However, I still felt like I was a fish out of water, floundering on dry land. I couldn't do this. I couldn't force myself to kill Rosalie… I mean if Caius did it, it would be different… but knowing that I was the direct cause of her demise disturbed me.

"Do it, Bella!" Emmett suddenly snarled.

My head snapped to where the Cullens stood. I expected to see an enraged Emmett, threatening me to kill her, but instead I saw a heartbroken, crumbling man. "Get it over with!" he said in a lower volume. His voice was coming out almost half-strangled.

Slowly, my eyes traveled over the Cullens, almost seeking their approval. Esme had her face buried in her husband's chest, not wanting to witness the execution, but Carlisle was watching me with a look of kind reassurance. Jasper and Alice stood side by side, holding hands apprehensively. Jasper was watching me, but his face was contorted with a mix of different emotions. I knew that this had to be hell for him—so many different emotions radiating off all the individuals and finding their way to him. Alice just looked grim, but there was also acceptance in her face. Alice knew that this had to be done, and after what Rosalie did to her, I had a feeling that neither of the couple would miss her.

Without warning, a burst of confidence found its way to me. My gaze returned to Jasper, and I saw his lips curl upward in a furtive smile. Taking another deep breath, I turned to Rosalie and placed both of my hands on the sides of her face. "You will never harm my family again," I stated simply, my voice sounding almost monotone.

"Burn in hell!" the blond vampire snarled in response, and those were the last words she ever spoke. With one mighty heave, I twisted her head off of her body, and simultaneously, Felix and Alec removed her arms, allowing her limp torso and to collapse to the ground.

Just as her body made contact with the cement floor of the Cullen basement, from the shadows, a small scream split the air. It was then I noticed a small shape huddled in a corner. Upon closer inspection, I could finally identify it as a young girl about fifteen years old. As I took a step closer, the girl recoiled.

"No," I gasped seeing her move farther away. "I won't hurt you, child. I promise."

The girl ceased in her movements and looked up at me with eyes as black as obsidian. With great difficulty from my dress, I knelt down and pushed a few strands of hair away from her face. "You must be thirsty," I whispered.

Whimpering quietly, the girl nodded, one hand resting on her throat. "Yes," she whispered.

"Come on then," I said, beckoning her forward. "I'll get you some blood to drink."

I stood up, and the girl mimicked me. Once she stood, I noticed how short and child-like she really was. She couldn't have been a year older than Jane, and certainly wasn't as mature as the blond vampire mentally, or physically as far as vampires and their control goes. She had long brown hair that went down just below her elbow. She was beautiful—as all vampires are—but she was… precious. I felt the sudden urge to protect her and care for her.

No one had spoken during my exchange with the girl, but as I led her toward the others, Caius growled. "Leave her here, Isabella!" he growled. "She was the one who bit you!"

As Caius's loud, intimidating voice sounded, the girl retreated to the shadows once more. This only irritated me. "Oh _shut up_, will you?! I don't care if she bit me or not! She needs help, and I think that enough people have suffered because of me as of late, and I'm not about to add her to the list!"

Everyone seemed shocked by my response, but I was too annoyed to care. I returned to the girl and coaxed her back into the light. "Come on, sweetie," I murmured softly before looking toward Carlisle. I knew that he was the one person who would help me with the girl. "Carlisle, do you have any blood that you can spare for her?"

Carlisle seemed surprised that I had addressed him, but nodded. "Yes, of course, Lady Isabella. Bring her up to my study while I go get some prepared."

With that, the doctor darted up the stairs. I walked the girl toward the others and they parted, clearing a pathway for us. "Come on," I cooed softly as we started up the stairs. "That's it." I kept on quietly encouraging her until we reached the top. Now, she seemed to feel more relaxed, but never once let go of my hand.

"Thank you," she whispered. Her voice was raspy, probably from the searing pain of the thirst, but it was soft and sounded high-pitched like Jane. "Lady Isabella," she added after a moment."

"You don't need to call me that," I told her, leading her into Carlisle's study. "Just Bella."

She smiled weakly and nodded as we entered the study. Upon our entry, her eyes widened at Carlisle's large collection of books. She let go of my hand and looked around the room, her eyes lighting up. I couldn't help but giggle at her reaction. "Do you like to read?" I inquired, earning another nod from her.

While she explored Carlisle's books, I heard footsteps approach from down the hall. I turned, expecting to see Carlisle, but instead saw Caius standing in the doorway. His face was impassive, but his eyes betrayed his remorse. He said nothing and just waltzed over to a leather chair that sat in the corner and gracefully took a seat. The girl said nothing regarding Caius's presence, but I saw her body tense.

"What's your name?" Caius finally asked. His voice possessed none of that softness it did when he spoke to me, instead, he sounded like he was back in the courtroom in Volterra interrogating a visiting vampire.

"Bree," the girl whispered so softly a human would not have been able to hear it.

"That's a pretty name," I offered.

Just then, Carlisle entered with a milk gallon container full of blood. I froze and closed my eyes, desperate to not lunge at the blond doctor and yank the jug from his grasp and devour it myself. Bree needed it more. Silently, Caius came to my side and wrapped his arms around me. His lips pressed against my head, and I suddenly felt better; more in control of myself.

Bree, however, showed no such restraint. She darted to Carlisle, her lips curled back and a snarl ripping from her chest. At first, I feared that she would attack the Cullen leader, but she didn't. She stood, her entire being shaking as Carlisle poured some of the blood into a Styrofoam cup. Once Carlisle was done, she snatched the cup from her him and drank it in a matter of seconds. Carlisle kept refilling it until the entire gallon jug was empty. During this, I watched with fascination as the girl's eyes slowly changed color from black to red. Once the gallon was empty, the girl seemed satisfied.

"Thank you," she said sheepishly to Carlisle.

The blond man smiled down at her kindly. "You're quite welcome, child."

"Isabella," Caius whispered in my ear before guiding my out of the room, leaving Bree and Carlisle alone. I heard them scarcely as they spoke about books that they enjoyed and how Carlisle came to acquire such an extensive collection. Caius took me into the Cullen kitchen where Jane, Felix and Jasper all stood. They all seemed upset.

"What is going on?" I asked, observing their grim faces.

"Bree must be destroyed," Caius whispered.

"_What?!_" I shouted, feeling anger rise up inside me. I literally felt like I was in a cartoon and the redness of rage was slowly filling my up until it reach the top of my head and exploded.

"She was created illegally," Caius sighed. "She was created in order to defy the Volturi and kill you."

"Not to mention," Felix put in. "That she was created at a young age and can qualify as an immortal child."

"So could Jane and Alec!" I snapped.

"She is too dangerous to keep around," Jasper put in.

"I don't care!" I snarled. I glared at them all before allowing my gaze to rest on Caius. "Caius, if you do this…" I began, my fury getting the better of me. "If you go through with this and actually kill that innocent little girl… I'll…"

"What?" Caius asked, his voice almost baiting me as if he didn't think I would give him consequences. Well that smug vampire had another thing coming!

"If you harm her, I'm leaving."

His eyes widened. "What did you say?"

"It's over. I'll leave you. Bree did nothing wrong! She didn't know what she was doing, and if you request it, I will take responsibility for her actions. You will not harm her, Caius Volturi, or else you will have me to deal with!" I warned before turning away. Not leaving room for further to discussion, I returned to the study to see Bree removing a book from Carlisle's shelf.

"I'll return it as soon as I finish!" she promised, turning to face him. "I promise."

"I believe you," Carlisle answered, smiling. "You may keep it for as long as you need it."

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

Bree had noticed me at that point and started toward me. "Dr. Cullen let me borrow one of his books," she said sheepishly.

"That was very nice of him," I stated, shooting him a grateful glance.

"Yeah! I can't want to read it!" she said, smiling widely.

"I'm sure. Come on, I'll show you where you can stay while you're here," I said, intending to give her my room. As I led her to my room, I knew from that moment on that I would let nothing happen to that girl no matter what. I didn't know what was coming over me, or what possessed me to do so, but I couldn't let anything hurt her; even Caius.

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? I don't know if I did. Leave a review and let me know that it wasn't a piece of s**t! And remember that if you liked this story and what you've see here so far, click on my username to see more of what I write and more stories!


	17. Chapter 17: Bree

_Salvation - Chapter 17_

Heehee... It's that time of the month again! XD LOL more like that time of the year really. This story is beginning to get exciting and that makes me WANT to write it as much as fucking possible!

Oh, and if you've read the section on Bree in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight Guide, you'll know about her story and such. I think that I might even revisit the issue with her abusive father where Caius is concerned, but maybe not.

Salvation IS NOT Fifty Shades of Grey. Yes, it is somewhat like it, but the story itself is not a porno written by a middle-aged stay-at-home mom who has WAY TOO MUCH time on my her hands. I am NOWEHERE near middle-aged, nor am I a mom! I might have way too much time on my hands, but what I do with that time is my business.

The point of this novel is that people have been asking for lemons. Okay, there have been... how many? Two? And there will be another in Chapter 17, and a few more to come, but at the same time, that is not the point of the story! The title is "Salvation" and it's about how Caius saved Bella from Edward and his degrading personality, and how he protected her and turned her from the clumsy, vulnerable, gullible human girl to the proud, strong, and powerful vampire Queen. It's also about how Bella saves Caius and reminds him who he truly is, and saves him from the monster he's become. It's about second chances and people learning to forgive, forget, and move on. This isn't meant to me a fanfic entirely composed of lemons, but something deeper.

I don't want something that I've worked so hard on and thought so deeply about to be dismissed as such.

I don't own Twilight.

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**17. Bree**

Over the next few weeks, I spent most of my time with Bree, getting to know it. Often, Alice, Esme, Carlisle, or Jane would come and sit with us for a while. It was interesting to see Jane's reaction to another girl her age—she was, for once, unsure of herself. She was used to being with adults and acting more mature than she was, but when she came face to face with a girl her age, she was at a loss on how to behave, but she tried. Slowly, I saw a change in her, and could see that she was beginning to act like a child again.

Alice and Esme also seemed to feel the same way I did when it came to the young girl. Whenever near her, they confessed that they had an overwhelming desire to protect her, as did Carlisle. Carlisle suggested that it might have been her power and she just wasn't aware of it. He also hypothesized that it was a result of her age when she was transformed. He claimed that the immortal children were well-known to have this effect on those close to them. Jane, however, disagreed heartily with that theory pointing out that she was the same age as Bree and no one felt the desire to protect her. Of course, then Felix made some jibe about her being about as cuddly as a cactus and being the Grinch's long-lost niece. Jane didn't appreciate that comment at all, and Felix soon found himself writhing on the floor in pain.

During all this, however, Caius remained reclusive from the rest of us. He never approached me, nor did I him. I often spotted him scowling in corners. A part of me felt guilty for giving him this ultimatum and being the cause of his "depression" if you will, but in truth, it was he who gave me an ultimatum of my own. He is the one who put me in the awful position to choose between Bree and him. He didn't understand the way Bree affected me… but then again no one truly did. Even though it was obvious that Bree had this… very powerful attraction about her, no one understood why I was being affected—I was the shield; I was the one who Edward could not read; I was the one who Aro could not interpret.

Carlisle, again, had an answer, or a theory rather. He often speculated as to why Alice could see me, with me being a shield, and why Demetri could track me. He believed that it was only my mind that was immune to powers, therefore, my shield did not offer me any kind of invincibility, or invisibility, just protection of my mind. Jasper was quick to point out that Bree's influence would be mind-related, and Carlisle reminded him that bonds and relationships was partially mind-related and Marcus could clearly view mine.

I was just confused by the whole affair. Eventually, I lost interest in their debates and spent even more time with Bree, reading to her, playing with her, hunting with her… She became my new companion. No one objected to this (verbally), and I think it was because they saw it as natural. Bree and I were both newborns—even if Bree was older and I was more controlled—we both knew what the other was going through and could identify with one another. I thought of her almost as a daughter to me—the daughter I could never have, and the one that would never age. She was… special to me.

One day, Bree and I were hunting outside of Forks and far away from the Quileute reservation. Bree refused to return to Seattle after what had happened there before, and I didn't mind. I didn't exactly want to be reminded of that place either. We had just hunted a group of drunks and were taking the scenic route home through the forest.

"You know, at first, I hated life as a vampire," Bree commented as we walked along toward the Cullen house. "But now, it's rather enjoyable."

I smiled at her. "I'm glad," I murmured, continuing forward. It was then, I noticed something strange about her. She seemed somewhat withdrawn. "Is something wrong?" I queried softly.

Bree sighed and sat down on the grassy forest floor. "Bella, I need to tell you something," she confessed, pushing a strand of her long dark brown hair behind her head. She looked up at me with her bright crimson eyes, and I saw fear harbored there.

My heart cracked. "Anything, sweet pea," I assured, sitting beside her.

"Promise you won't be mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

She sighed. "I don't know… You don't seem like that kind of person… but… Well… I was born in Nevada… and when I was four, my mom disappeared. I'm pretty sure she left my dad—he hit her a lot… but I didn't understand why she didn't take me with her… I don't know… but… well… my dad moved us up to Idaho… and since my mom was gone, he beat me instead… He wasn't a good guy. I didn't have a lot of friends because I was scared that they would notice the bruises he left, and tell someone… if it got out—what he was doing—he would only kill me…

"After a while, though, I got fed up… So… a few weeks before my sixteenth birthday, I left for Seattle… I had enough money for a bus ride there, but I couldn't get a job and I had to steal… I had to do a lot of things that I wasn't proud of, and usually slept on benches and in parks and stuff… I was so scared that the police would find me and send me back to my dad, so I was always wary of them… I was digging in a trashcan looking for food when Riley found me. He asked me if I wanted a hamburger," she recalled with a small smile.

"I used to think he was real cute—Riley I mean. After I was changed though, I didn't really find him as dazzling. I was afraid of most of the other newborns… all except Diego. He was different. He was really nice and… and I liked him... Riley told us that the vampire myths were really—about the sun and all that—but Diego and I found out that it wasn't, so we were gonna tell Riley when he went to see Victoria, but she came to us at the last moment with the blond girl… Rosalie I think her name was… In the end, we didn't tell Riley, and then you came… But… the man—the blond guy who stares at you a lot—when he and the others came to the lot looking for you, Diego confronted them, and the man killed him… Diego wouldn't have fought! He just wanted to know why they were there… Riley gave him orders…" she trailed off, beginning to sob in the dry way vampires do.

Moved by her pain, I wrapped my arms around her. "Shh," I soothed, rubbing her back reassuringly. "Relax… It's okay…"

"I miss him!" Bree choked out. "I miss him so much… He didn't deserve to die!"

"I know… I know…" I whispered.

Caius killed Diego… He killed the boy Bree loved. That just infuriated me. A part of me, the one that was still loyal to Caius, reminded me that he had no idea what he was doing, and was only concerned with getting me to safety. "He didn't know what he was doing," I whispered, voicing my own thoughts. "He didn't know…"

* * *

When we returned to the house, my eyes sought out Caius, and I soon found him, sulking in a corner as always, watching Bree and I with a scornful expression. I rested my hand on the middle of Bree's back and suggested that she should go up to her room and start on that book Carlisle lent her the day before.

As Bree scampered up the stairs, Caius pushed himself away from the wall and started toward me. "Where were you?" he asked, his voice soft.

"Hunting with Bree," I replied. We had not spoken in private like this for some time. I felt slightly awkward being alone with him after so many days.

He nodded and continued to slowly make his way toward me. "Isabella," he murmured huskily, making stomach twist and my core yearn for him. He had not spoken my name in so long. Hearing it alone nearly drove me in to ecstasy.

"Caius," I breathed as he stepped up so he was less than an inch away. I gazed helplessly up into his blood-red eyes and became lost within them. Bree was just a distant memory now; there was only one thing in my world at that moment: my mate, my love, my master, my king, my Caius.

Almost hesitantly, he pressed his smooth lips to my forehead. "Please, my darling," he murmured softly that only I who stood so close to him could hear it. "Please do not let that girl be the wedge that drives us apart."

"She won't be," I breathed, locking my arms around his neck.

He forced a smile, but I could see the uncertainty in his face, so I decided to change the subject. "I've missed you."

He hummed in agreement and again pressed his lips to my temple. "And I you, _mia amore,_" he practically purred.

His familiar scent wafted around me, suffocating me, but it was a glorious, pleasurable kind of pain. It reminded me of how much I loved him, and why I loved him… it was something I needed so terribly. The next thing I knew, I Caius's arms were resting on my waist, and I was pressed up against the wall. I groaned as Caius roughly thrust in tongue into my mouth and bucked his hips against mine. I moaned and yanked him closer unapologetically.

Caius let out an animalistic growl and hitched my legs around his waist. His lips became increasingly rough as they savaged my lips and throat to the point where if I were human, I would have been covered in hickeys. "Room," I breathed between gasps of unneeded air. "Now…"

My newborn lust that had been distracted, sedated, and then smothered by Bree was no back and ten times as noticeable. The young girl wasn't here anymore to distract me from these lustful, naughty feelings in thoughts I had when I was with Caius. Caius had my full attention now, and I knew that he was taking advantage of it. He could hardly refuse my request and darted up to the room he had been using during Bree's stay. Slamming the door behind him, he literally tore my dress from my body, and I did the same to him, breaking the buttons off his black dress shirt in my haste. The next few minutes flew by in epileptic images clouded by my intense desire and passion for my mate, my master, my king.

Things seem to become clearer once we were entwined on the bed and he had buried himself deep within me. As strange as it sound I felt… whole. Being united with him in this way gave me a burst of confidence that made me feel invincible. I suddenly felt like I could tackle the world, and it was then that another thought popped into my brain: I was a vampire, and we could finally love as equals. This also empowered me to some extent, and I did just as I always intended to do—fuck the shit out of my mate.

The rest of the night was full of painful, pleasurable orgasms containing cries of love and profanity that were loud enough to wake the dead. I felt somewhat sorry for the rest of the unfortunate vampires in the household, but at the same time, I was too high on Caius's love to care. However, Caius and I faced much ridicule and humiliation when morning came. Felix was the first to make a crude remark, and he and Alec kept making comments until Caius got fed up with their stupid games and threatened them with emasculation, something no man should ever have to face. That shut them up pretty quickly.

Bree continued on with life as if I hadn't fucked the man who killed her boyfriend. She didn't acknowledge it, nor did she seem effected by it, which made me glad. The last thing I needed was for her to be mad at me. Also, after our little "reunion", Caius and I grew closer again like we had been before. He seemed to be really determined to get on my good side again, and renew our relationship and our love. He even made an attempt to grow closer to Bree. It was a slow, painstaking process, but eventually, I saw the two of them beginning to forge a bond. At night, Caius would come in and sit on the bed for a bit while Bree and I read. Sometimes, he would even participate and read a chapter or two. At first, Bree was clearly terrified of him, but after a few days, she visibly relaxed around him, possibly even beginning to like him.

Everything seemed to finally be going right; Rosalie and Edward were gone, the Cullens had begun to grow used to their absence, Emmett was beginning to become his old self again thanks to the help of Felix and Alec, Jane and Bree were becoming just like sisters, Jasper was finally beginning to let his guard down around Alice, Caius and I were closer than ever, and Caius and Bree were becoming friends. However, this peace was not meant to last.

During the events of those few weeks, I had forgotten about someone who would always be there, always in the way, always hiding in the shadows of my mind as a haunting memory. While I was beginning to accept my life, and my future, he still clung to the past, and was in no way prepared to let go. And so, he showed up at the Cullen house ready to fight for my affections with an army of wolves behind him.

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUH!

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	18. Chapter 18: Along Came a Werewolf

_Salvation - Chapter 18_

Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays! I don't know what you celebrate, but I hope it's merry!

Well today (Christmas) is my birthday and I wish I could get all you wonderful, loyal, lovely readers a gift, but since I can't do that, I thought a new chapter would be suffice. I hope you like this one, and I think the last sentence will just make your jaw drop... I hope people like what I did with the huge hole that I dug for myself as far as the plot goes... This is my cheap way of trying to build a ladder to climb out.

I don't own Twilight.

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**18. Along Came a Werewolf**

Caius and I were sitting on the couch watching the news while Carlisle and Esme occupied the loveseat. Esme would occasionally peck her husband affectionately on the check, forcing a smile out of him while his eyes remained focused on the TV screen. A segment on Riley Biers was playing, asking the public for information on his whereabouts, besides him, nothing else was said about all the people that had become victims of Victoria—those who were changed and those who fed her army; all the pretty blond news reporter said was that the murders and disappearances were dying down in the Seattle area.

"Maybe the world will finally forget about it," Felix muttered. I hadn't noticed him leaning up against the wall. He started toward us and took a seat on one of Esme's lush leather couches. "Boss," he began, looking at Caius with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "I beg your apology, but I need to borrow your plaything for a moment," he said, winking at me.

My mate let out a low, warning growl. "She is not my plaything!" he snarled. "And what exactly are you planning to do with my darling Isabella?"

Felix stood and moved so he blocked our view of the TV. "Well, you see, when Bella first woke up into this crazy new life of hers, I was promised an arm wrestling match that I never got. Now," he stopped and smirked at the both of us before looking around the room at the other vampires who had joined us. "I know that this won't prove anything since I always have been, and always will be the strongest vampire on the face of the Earth, but I feel compelled to challenge this upstart newborn to a friendly little competition."

Caius shot me a dubious look. "It's up to you," he sighed.

I stood up and folded my arms across my chest. I had to look up to see Felix's face, but for once was not intimidated by his immense size and bulging biceps. I was very well aware that Felix could easily snap my small frame in half, but was still not daunted by him. "You're on," I told him, smirking.

No one in the family—not even Carlisle and Esme who usually weren't interested and didn't take part in these kind of physical challenges—were willing to miss this match. Felix found a large boulder suitable for the trial and set it down right outside the Cullen house. Every vampire in the house came outside to witness who would win this competition, and Caius, Bree, Alice, and Jane stood in the front row cheering me on while Alec, Emmett and Demetri were rooting for Emmett and making bets with Jasper and a few other Volturi vampires.

Felix and I got into position, our right elbows resting on the rock and our left arms behind our backs. Felix's massive hand dwarfed mine, but I still gripped it firmly. Felix looked down at me and smirked. "Let me know if I hurt you, little sister."

I squeezed his hand tightly, making his eyes widen at my strength. "Back at you."

"When I give the word!" Caius said, causing the voices and whispers to die down. He waited a few moments before speaking again. "Go!" Felix immediately put pressure on my arm, pushing with all his might. I matched him, so our hands hadn't even moved a millimeter. Felix's face was contorted with anger as he discovered that he couldn't defeat me as easily as he believed. He shifted his weight, trying to get an advantage, but nothing happened.

"Looks like I'm the strongest vampire now," I said simply before slamming his arm down on the rock with a mighty crash. The rock crumbled to pieces under my strength, and Felix stumbled from the force. My fans were cheering while Felix's followers looked absolutely stunned. I stood up, triumphant to see everyone's shocked faces.

Caius darted to my side and pulled me into his arms. "_Oh, mia amore, mia amica... È stato davvero fantastico! Magnifico! Ti amo così tanto,_" Caius exclaimed kissing me over and over. Jane, Bree, and Alice all came over and embraced me once Caius finally allowed me to breathe. During all this, I noticed Demetri slip Jasper a sack of Euros, and couldn't help but smile. I caught Jasper's eye and the Major winked in gratitude. I wasn't sure what they bet on, or how much the prize was, but I didn't really care.

Alice, Jane, Bree, and Caius were still gushing over me when a howl from the north split the air. Bree's eyes nearly doubled in size as she hid behind me, cowering in fear. Alice cursed at her sudden blindness due to the werewolf, and dashed to her mate's side. Suddenly two Volturi guards appeared on the slope to the east of the Cullen house. "They're coming this way!" one shouted.

"Dozens of them!" the other added. "And they do not look friendly!"

Caius let out a roar and began shouting orders to get into battle positions. All the Cullens rushed to Carlisle's side to hear his orders, and then dispersed amongst the Volturi, taking positions amongst them. Caius took my arm gently and brought me with him to the house. "Stay here," he said, leaving me on the porch, and already turning away before I could answer.

"Hold on!" I growled, gently pulling out of Bree's grip and following him down the steps. "I just kicked Felix's ass in an arm wrestling match proving I'm the strongest vampire on the face of the Earth and you want me to sit on the fucking sidelines like a weak, vulnerable little cheerleader?!"

He stopped and turned to face me. For a moment, his eyes retained their hard, scornful look they usually carried, but after a moment, they softened to the beautiful crimson orbs I knew and loved. He sighed. "You're right," he admitted honestly. "And I'm sorry. I keep forgetting that you're not human anymore… I keep forgetting that you're more than capable of protecting yourself… and I'm sorry for that."

I smiled up at him. "It's okay… but don't treat me like I'm a damsel in distress."

"Can I help?" Bree's small, frightened voice sounded from behind me.

Fear shot through me at the thought of Bree falling victim to a werewolf. I shuddered as my mind came up with the image as a large werewolf like Paul or Sam ripping her apart limb from limb. "You should go inside, sweetie," I said, unable to keep the clear fear out of my voice. "It's going to be very dangerous, and I don't want you to get hurt."

"What about you?" she queried softly.

"I'll be fine, darling. Go inside," I encouraged.

Bree sighed and her shoulders fell slightly in defeat as she walked up the steps and disappeared into the Cullen house. Relief washed over me the moment the door closed. Bree would be safe… for now. Caius was giving me a strange look as we turned away and made our way to the front of our little assembly. I ignored him, and tried to get his mind of the subject. "What do you think they want?"

"Knowing werewolves the way I do, it's probably something stupid," he muttered.

Just as we got into our position, a large black werewolf appeared at the top of the slope flanked by a russet-brown one. As the two began their descent down the slope, more wolves came into view on the top. Caius visibly tensed as the wolves neared him. "What do you want?" he demanded, struggling to keep a straight face and not have it contort in anger. "You are not welcome here."

The black werewolf who I assumed was Sam, nodded to the russet-colored one. The horse-sized wolf disappeared into the bushes and returned as a man; he returned as Jacob. "We're here to get you back, Bella," Jacob said simply, watching me with hard brown eyes.

I sighed exasperatedly. "Jacob!" I snapped. "Your romantic failure is no cause to assemble an army of werewolves to retrieve me from my true love like I'm your lost dog! I love Caius, Jake. It's time to get over it!"

Jacob growled and started toward me, but Caius immediately put himself between us. "Stay away from her you filthy mutt!"

A chorus of growls sounded from the werewolf population. "Bella, you love me! You said it yourself!"

The vampires behind us did nothing to hide their shock. I could feel their eyes on me as I stepped out behind Caius and looked at Jacob. "Jake… look… I know I do. When Edward left me, he left me bleeding, and… and you were the one who started to sew me back up, but never got the chance to finish… Caius came in before then, and… he made it as if no injury had ever been inflicted. Yes I love you Jacob… but I'm not… in love with you. You're important to me, and I don't want to see anything bad happen to you, but don't love you like I love Caius… It's a different kind of love… I…" I trailed off.

"She doesn't want you the way you

think she does, Jacob," Caius growled.

"She's not sure what she wants!"

"I don't have a choice anymore!" I cut in, looking between the two of them. "Jacob, I am a vampire. Nothing is going to change that—nothing. I will never be human again. I will never be the soft, fragile human you fell in love with. This whole experience has changed me in ways you can't begin to imagine. I used to be unsure of myself… hesitant with every step and quite literally stumbling blindly through my life, but now… Now I know where I want to go. I know who I am. I am Isabella Volturi, mate of Caius and Queen of the vampire world. I am not Bella Swan, or Bella Black. I'm not Caius's Bella, or Jacob's Bella, or Edward's Bella… I'm… me, and I'll be whoever I choose to be… and I choose this."

Jacob watched as I turned and walked to Caius's side. "I choose this life, Jacob… because even though I love you and care about you… there is only one person I love above all, one person I know that I can't live without… and it's Caius. It will always be Caius."

Sam bared his teeth at Jacob and let out a low growl. Jacob sighed. "Sam says that there will be no battle here today, and that he is sorry for disturbing you… He says that I didn't give him a clear picture of what was really going on, and what I told him wasn't the truth," he said, speaking for the black-furred alpha. Sam nodded in approval at Jacob's words before looking at the vampires and dipping his head in a form of goodbye. He locked eyes with Caius, and then with Carlisle before bounding up the slope, the werewolves disappearing as quickly and silently as they had come.

Only Jacob remained.

"Get lost, dog," Caius growled.

Jacob didn't move.

"You heard him!" Felix snarled, stepping forward. "Get out of here!"

Jacob wasn't looking at them, instead, his gaze was fixated at something behind us—behind all of us. Warily, I followed his gaze to the Cullen house. I followed his gaze to where it landed right on Bree Tanner. I looked back at Jacob and saw the distant look in his eyes—they were fogged over and he seemed almost aloof from the rest of us. There was a dreamy look on his face as if he had just witnessed a beautiful sunset or had done something that brought him great pleasure. All these things he portrayed while gazing at Bree—my Bree!

His words echoed in my mind from that one day I spent in La Push: "_It's… It's when you see…_her_._ _Suddenly… everything changes. It's not gravity holding you to the Earth anymore… it's her. You would do anything… be anything for her._" Rehearing those words in my mind, everything fell into place. I understood, and I hated the truth.

Jacob had imprinted on Bree.

* * *

A/N: DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHHHHHHHHHH HHH! How do you like them apples?!

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	19. Chapter 19: Dread

_Salvation - Chapter 19_

Well... I don't know bout this one. I just don't know how you'll react. The ending and the people who show up will reappear. They come for a reason.

I don't own Twilight.

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**19. Dread**

"You son of a bitch!" I roared, lunging for the man I used to consider my best friend. Catching him off guard, I knocked him to the ground and pinned him beneath me. "YOU IMPRINTED ON HER!" I roared so loudly and so fiercely I thought that it gave Caius a run for his money. Everyone stood in silent shock as they watched the exchange between Jacob and me. "Stay. Away. From. Her. Do you understand that you simpleton? Stay away from her!"

Jacob stared up at me with a flabbergasted expression. "I have no idea what you're talking about Bella! I heard that immortality can cause insanity but I didn't think you'd slip into it this early on!"

"Shut up!" I snarled.

"Bella, what is going on?" Caius inquired, walking toward me slowly. When I didn't answer him and tightened my grip on Jacob's throat, he rested his hand on my shoulder. "Darling?"

"This son of a bitch, this monster, this pedophile imprinted on Bree!" I growled.

"Imprinted?" Felix voiced what was probably thought of all the vampires present.

"The treaty speaks of it briefly. Imprinting is when you meet your soul-mate and you are forever bound to them. Is that what happened, Jacob?" Carlisle spoke, watching Jacob closely.

Caius gently tried to pull me off the poor werewolf, but I shrugged out of his grip. "Don't even try it, Caius!" I snarled. "I'm not letting this son of a bitch go until he tells me what the hell just happened and why it did!"

Jacob glared at me. "First of all, Bella I don't know i_what_/i the hell just happened! Second of all, how the hell should I know why, if I don't even know what it was! I just saw the girl come out of her house and got this… really strange feeling… It was like… a thousand balloons being released into the air. Suddenly… everything was okay… Everything was wonderful…" he trailed off dreamily.

Getting annoyed with just his personality in general, I whipped my arm back and let it fly forward as hard as I could into his face. Jacob cried out in pain, and I felt a grim satisfaction rush through me at his pain. "What the hell was that for?" he demanded.

"I just don't like you anymore," I replied.

I pulled my arm back again to hit him, but I felt a pair of strong muscular arms close around my middle. "Let me go!" I snarled, struggling against Felix's grip.

"You need to calm down, Bella," he whispered in my air, turning away and dropping me beside Caius. "There is a time and a place to kick this little bitch's ass, but now is not it."

"Felix is right," Caius agreed quietly.

"HE IMPRINTED ON BREE!" I screeched. "GOD KNOWS BUT UNHOLY THOUGHTS HE'S HAVING ABOUT HER!"

"It's not like that Bella!" Jacob cut in, sitting up. "Really it isn't… I don't even know what it is, but it's not that!"

I growled and turned away from him. "You will not go near her, understand?" I growled.

"You know I can't do that," Jacob replied, coming closer to me.

"What did he do to me?" a small, familiar, fragile-sounding voice spoke from the midst of the crowd. I turned to see little Bree shoving her way through the crowd. "I don't understand."

I went to her side and wrapped my arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it, sweetie… Don't mind Jacob."

Jacob had stood up by this point and was approaching us. I gave him a low warning growl, causing him to stop. "Hello, Bree," he greeted her, smiling that stupid, annoying smile I had come to hate. "I'm Jacob."

I don't know it was lucky or not, but Bree's shy nature seemed to get the better of her. She backed up and seemed to step behind slightly. "Hi," she whispered, her voice barely audible to human ears.

Jacob came closer. "It's okay, Bree," Jacob assured her. "I won't hurt you. Don't worry."

"The hell you won't," I growled.

The werewolf ignored me and continued toward small Bree. She moved away and closer, to my surprise, to Caius. "You smell bad," she admitted causing Caius and me to both chuckle. "I don't like it… and you were one of those wolf things."

"I know. I'm a shape-shifter. We usually kill vampires, but I won't hurt you," Jacob told her.

"Yeah, that's a good way to earn a girl's trust: tell her that you kill her species on a daily basis," Felix muttered.

Jacob ignored him and touched Bree's arm. She gasped. I attacked. I grabbed Jacob Black by the neck and sent him flying across the clearing. "He didn't hurt me!" Bree said once he hit the ground. "I was just surprised by how warm he was…"

I could see the triumphant smile on Jacob's face as he sat up. Bree somewhat defended him; a start. If it was up to me, however, I would crush that start in a few minutes, and that's what I decided to do because I came up with a plan that was necessary… but I wasn't proud of it.

* * *

Jacob went home after Felix literally had to chase him off Cullen property after Carlisle's polite request of him to leave. Jane, of course, joined in the chase and sent the werewolf off into the forest with his tail between his legs. It was then once Jacob was gone and Bree was safely in her room, that I got an idea.

Caius and I were in our room when I thought of it, and wasted no time asking him about it. "When can we go back to Volterra?"

My mate looked almost surprised that I had brought it up. "I hadn't realized you wanted to go back; we can leave any time we want."

"Can we go soon?"

"Sure."

"That's great!" I exclaimed throwing my arms around him.

Caius chuckled and hugged me back for a moment before pulling away. He looked down at me suspiciously. "Isabella, darling, what are you planning in that beautiful mind of yours?"

I gave him a quick look before giving in. This was Caius after all—my mate, my love, my reason for existence—and I could let him in on my plans. "Well, you see… I've been thinking of ways to keep Bree and Jacob apart, and I think that the most effective would be to take her back to Volterra and keep her as far away as physically possible from him… He won't want to come to the vampire capital of the world."

Caius kissed my head. "Isabella, do you think that if Jacob loves Bree even half as much as I love you that he will let the vampire capital stand in his way? I know I wouldn't if it were you and the situation was in reverse."

I pushed him back on the bed and straddled him before lying my head on his chest. "I know you would follow me anywhere," I murmured, kissing the hollow of his throat. "And I you."

He ran his finger tenderly through my hair. "You feel this burning passion for me, and know I feel the same for you, yet you try to separate another loving relationship."

"It's not a relationship!" I snarled, sitting up, but not clambering off him yet. "They just met and she's already terrified of him!"

"Give it time to grow," Caius encouraged, taking both my hands in his. "Even though you and I sort of fell in love at first sight, it took time for our relationship to grow to and get to the point where it us now, and it's still growing. Darling, every moment I spend with you is the new best moment of my life."

I smiled widely and kissed his lips softly for a moment before pulling away as he tried to stick his tongue inside my mouth. "Do you really think that I should let him… try to court her? And then what? Just sit back and watch as he tries to get in that poor fifteen-year-old's pants? Caius, you cannot ask me to stay out of it when she needs me to protect her! She's so young and innocent and, if she does love him back, she'll blindly do whatever he says!"

Caius sighed. "Isabella, listen to me," he implored quietly. "Listen to yourself, love. You're beginning to sound like me. I used to treat you like you were a helpless child when you were human, but now I can see that you can take care of yourself. Bree isn't a little girl even though you might like her to be. She's a fifteen year old girl—don't you remember when you were her age? After a while and once she relaxes more, she'll come out of her shell and want to go off with Jacob, or her friends and do as she pleases. She'll be a normal teenager again."

I rested my head against his chest. He was right and we both knew it. "I can't let her go, Caius… I can't… I don't understand it!" I whispered urgently, burying my face in his cloak.

He rubbed my back soothingly. "I know, sweetheart. I know. I believe Carlisle has called the Denali Coven in—Eleazar's gift is that he can identify a person's talent… If they have one that is. Hopefully once they arrive, we will get some answers to why you feel this strong bond with her."

I nodded and continued to snuggle into his chest. "Caius," I whispered.

"Yes, love?"

"I wish that, before I was turned, that we could have had a child," I whispered.

He sighed. "It's not possible, darling. Even if… even if we had intended to, it couldn't have happened. I doubt that vampire semen could fertilize a human woman's egg… It's unheard of. I know for a fact that male vampires have had human partners in the past, and none of them had fertilized the woman. I don't think it's biologically possible… Plus even if you had conceived, your body probably wouldn't have been able to handle the fetus, and it might have killed you."

I sighed; I didn't need a lecture. "I know… but still… I think that's it. I think that's why I feel close to Bree… I think it's the mothering instinct kicking in… I think that's it."

Caius grumbled something unintelligible under his breath. "Maybe… maybe not… Eleazar will tell us."

I sat up and sighed tiredly. Physically, I felt as if I could demolish a tank, but mentally I felt drained. "I need to go talk to Jacob," I said suddenly. With that, I got up and went over to the closet, without waiting for Caius's approval.

"Why on Earth would you want to do that? You nearly killed him earlier today!" he reminded me as I slipped on my outer cloak and fastened my Volturi pendant around my neck.

"I know… but I just… I need to talk to him and get something off my mind," I said, turning to face him. He was slipping on his own cloak. "What are you doing?" I demanded, hoping he wasn't doing what I thought he was.

"Going with you."

"Why?"

"Because if I need to cover up a murder, I would like to know ahead of time, plus someone needs to be there to either hold you back, or assist you," he said with a wistful smile.

I smiled back at him, then sighed. "Fine, if you want to come along… but you might not like what I have to say."

* * *

Caius and I took his Mercedes right into La Push using the most obvious way. If any of the werewolves wanted to stop us, all they had to do was step out in front of the car and make an inquiry about what we were doing. The fact that they didn't come gave me an uneasy feeling—what was going on? Why weren't they here?

"Something's wrong," I commented, gazing out of the window at the colorful forest around us. Autumn was beginning to grip the land—slowly but surely. Most of the leaves still retained their green look, but there were a few that were beginning to take on the oranges, reds, and yellows. My sharp eyes pierced yards into the forest, but there was no large furry wolf to be seen. "None of them are confronting us."

"Perhaps they believe that we are coming in peace," Caius suggested, but I could tell from his stiff posture that he too was nervous.

I had to give Caius directions so we would reach the right house. When we finally got to the Black house after a couple wrong turns and some heated conversations, I noticed that Jacob's Rabbit was the driveway, but the house appeared to be sealed up. A foreboding feeling crept into me, making me shiver.

"Caius, something is wrong!" I persisted looking at him worriedly.

"I know there is…" he muttered but proceeded to get out of the car.

Not wanting to be left behind, or leave him to face the unknown danger alone, I followed him as he made his way up to the house. "Jacob!" I called trying to peer through the window.

A howl sounded off in the woods making us whip around. "The pack!" I exclaimed as I saw a whole group of werewolves come sprinting down the slope. At first, I thought they were coming in our direction, but then I noticed that their path curved sideways and they went around the house as if we were invisible.

"Come on!" Caius hissed before sprinting after them.

"Dad!" I heard Jacob shout. He was in his human form. Where was he?

Caius and I followed the werewolves down the beach where I saw Jacob as a large, snarling russet-brown werewolf growling at a cloaked figure. At first, I thought that the vampire was a member of the Volturi, but I didn't recognize their scent. It was Caius who let out a roar. "The Romanian scum!" he spat.

Before I could question him, he ran down the slope and onto the sandy beach. "Vladimir!" my mate growled. "How dare you show your face in a town where my coven is taking up residence! I thought that you had had enough when I demonstrated my power by killing all but you and Stefan."

The vampire pulled down his hood to show his whitish blond hair that mimicked Caius's but was shorter in length. "You say vat you got demonstrated your power, yet it is I vat had your pretty little mate," Vladimir said in a thick Romanian accent. Despite his light blond hair, he reminded me of Dracula.

Suddenly, a pair of arms ceased me around my middle, taking me by surprise. I struggled violently, but could not break this vampire's hold. It didn't make sense—I was stronger than Felix! I should be able to kick this guy's ass, but I just couldn't break free. The vampire proceeded to squeeze me until I felt a shooting pain in my middle. "Caius!" I squeaked. It felt as if I were having the life being squeezed out of me.

I heard a growl, and my captor was suddenly knocked away. I collapsed to the sand and struggled to get up. I turned around just in time to see a dark-haired man close his arms around Jacob's middle. "NO!" I screamed as I heard the sound of bones crunching. In the next instant, Jacob Black collapsed to the ground, limp.

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A/N: DUN DUN DUHHHH! Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	20. Chapter 20: Romanians

_Salvation - Chapter 20_

Wow! Holy Carlisle, can you believe we are on Chapter 20 already?! Jeez! I never would have made it this far without you guys. Thank you so much for your love, support, and reviews. I love you all so much, I really do. Thank you again!

I don't own Twilight.

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**20. Romanians**

Many emotions hit me when I gazed upon the limp, naked figure of Jacob Black. After being nearly crushed by the vampire that had held me captive, he phased back to a human. The first emotion that dominated the others was a strange mixture of disbelief, utter shock, and dread. Did Bree's soul-mate truly just die protecting me? Was I responsible for this? The next emotion was utter rage. I tore my gaze away from Jacob and allowed it rest upon my captor.

The man who crushed Jacob was approximately seven feet tall with muscles that bulged out from underneath his shirt. His face was hidden in the shadows of his hood, but I could see that his face was a ghostly white like all vampires and had large, piercing crimson eyes. I didn't know who he was; I didn't care. Without thinking, I launched myself at him, and took him by surprise. I knocked him to the ground and grabbed him around the neck with my hands. My tiny hands could hardly enclose around half his neck, but that didn't stop me from slamming his head against the ground.

Just as I began to feel triumphant, the man's hand shot up and grabbed my arm. In one tight squeeze, my bicep crumbled in his hands and he threw my left arm away like it was a twig.

"Isabella!" Caius shouted. I heard him and wolves rushing to my aid, but there was little they could do.

The man flipped us over so he was on top and punched me in the face. His fist felt like a wrecking ball, and I was the unfortunate building. I felt my face crack from one punch. Suddenly, I couldn't feel anything below my neck, and I could feel the crack splitting my right check into a puzzle. I had seen this before on other vampires—right now my face looked like the ground in a drought when it was all cracked and arid.

Someone pulled the man's hood back and I finally laid eyes on him. He had short blond hair that was would have been rough and shaggy if longer. He had a boyish face with slightly crooked teeth and pointed chin. I didn't know his name. I didn't want to know his name. He would always be a monster in my eyes.

It was as if time slowed down; I got a good look at this man in the few seconds he was on me. It felt like minutes, but in reality it was just a few seconds before Caius got to us and yanked him off. My mate savagely tore him away and threw him down the small ravine and onto the beach. "You little fucking cunt!" Caius roared before rushing down to grab him once more. "You dare attack my mate?! _My_ mate?! Do you even know who I am you miserable little worm?! I am Caius Volturi! Master of the greatest vampire coven to ever exist! You do not want to fuck with me you little moron, do you fucking understand that?!"

After making sure the poor man heard every single word he said, he buried his face in the sand. I wanted to run down and assist him, but I had greater matters to attend to. With the Romanians present and Caius in potential danger, I should go get the guard… but Jacob was lying feet away badly injured… Should I tend to him? _No, Bella. Don't even try; you'll only make it worse!_ I thought. That left only one other option: Carlisle.

After reattaching my arm, I zipped off through the forest at top speed toward Cullen land. I could hear the voices on the beach fading, and soon became aware of footfalls behind me. They must have sent someone to pursue me. I pushed myself faster still, whipping through the forest. It wasn't long before I saw the Cullen house. "Help!" I screamed, not stopping. "Carlisle! Felix!"

The moment I reached the driveway, all members inside were storming outside and rushing over to me. Carlisle and Felix were the first to my side. "What happened?" Carlisle demanded in that reassuring, soft voice of his.

"Where is Master Caius?" Felix was next to question.

"The Romanians are here and on La Push land! Jacob's hurt and Caius is still there but the werewolves are there to help him." I breathed.

"Volturi, let's go!" Felix shouted. The guards didn't need to even be told—some had already darted off to defend their master. They didn't wait for the Cullens for they had taken an oath to protect and defend their masters.

"We need to go help them," Carlisle said simply, looking at his family. "Will you join us, Tanya?"

The Cullens parted to reveal a new family of vampires that I didn't recognize. However, once I saw all the beautiful blond women, I realized who they were: the Denalis. Edward had only vaguely told me about them and all the beautiful females that made up the coven. A small, petite girl with strawberry blond curly hair stepped forward. She had to have been Tanya. "Yes, Carlisle," the woman spoke with a high-pitched, but finalizing voice. "The Romanians are no friends of ours."

"Then let us make haste," Carlisle replied before leading his family off into the trees toward La Push. I followed them, not waiting for the Denalis. Once at the border, they relied upon me to lead the way. Upon reaching the beach, the Romanians were gone and Caius and the human version of Sam Uley were speaking on the beach while the other werewolves, who had also phased, were crowded around Jacob. Carlisle rushed to Jacob's side. I knew I should go to him, but gravity tugged me in Caius's direction. It only took about two seconds before I found myself at my mate's side.

"They are not our friends, Sam," Caius assured the alpha. "My coven and I tried to rid the world of the Romanian scum long ago. We only left two alive—Vladimir and Stefan. They were here today… they must be trying to rebuild their coven."

When Caius said that, I remembered my pursuer. When I reached the Cullen house, he or she must have stopped, obviously knowing better than to challenge a coven of such size. "If they come back, we'll be ready," Sam said determinedly. "We won't let Billy's death go without consequences."

"_What?!_" I shrieked. "Billy is dead?!"

Sam nodded gravely. "That's how this whole mess started. Leah was doing her rounds when she scented them and followed the trail right to the Black house. Jacob was on the other side of down and came as quickly as he could, but it was too late. Billy knew what they were and managed to roll himself out of the house and down to the beach. That's when they caught him…. By the time Jake got here, he was dead."

I looked down the beach and finally noticed the overturned wheelchair and the limp body of Billy Black lying in the sand. "Oh my God…"

"Your father is on his way, Bella," Sam said suddenly. "I thought you would like to see him. I told him you were here."

"_What?!_" Caius and I demanded in unison.

"Sam, that is the worst thing you could have done!" Caius growled. "Bella is still a newborn. She's uncontrollable, and God knows how she'll react around her father! She could kill him! The entire time he's within a five-mile radius, she'll feel as if someone were pressing a white-hot branding iron down on her throat! Not to mention that he'll notice the differences! She has red eyes for crying out loud!"

"I thought ahead!" Alice called, prancing over with a tiny white case in her hand. She opened it to reveal a few sets of contacts. "I packed some for Bella, and for Caius. I couldn't tell what had happened, but I knew Charlie would be involved," she said stiffly. I knew Alice disliked the werewolves for the blindness they caused her as far as her visions were concerned.

"Thanks, Alice," I said gratefully before popping them in. Caius stood there a moment, seeming almost perplexed by the offer, but took them after a moment.

Alice just smiled and rested her hand on my shoulder. "He'll be here in a few minutes… Bella don't eat him. I rather like Charlie," she said simply as if she were telling me not to eat anything filling before dinner. She danced away back to Jasper's side, who welcomed her with an open arm, prepared to wrap itself around her petite waist.

Caius stared after Alice and then shook his head. "Strange that girl," he muttered. "Demetri!" he summoned the guard without warning, making me jump.

The tracker appeared before us in a flash a moment after his name passed my mate's lips. "Master, Mistress," he greeted us with a formal bow.

"Take Santiago, Alec, Jane, and Felix and track those Romanian bastards. If you find them, kill their henchmen, but bring Vladimir and Stefan to me. I have something special planned for them. Aro said that it would be influential if we left those two live, but now I see that the actions were more trouble than they were worth. The world will soon be rid of them," Caius said simply.

Demetri bowed a second time. "Yes, Master." Obediently, he backed away a few steps before darting off to find the other guards.

After Demetri left, Sam departed as well leaving Caius and I standing alone on the beach. A slight breeze blew toward us, sending our hair flying backwards. "I should go check on—"

"Jacob?!" a familiar voice shrieked.

Caius and I both whipped around to see Bree rushing to Jacob's side. "Jacob?! Jacob!" she shouted.

Jealousy shot through me. Without thinking, I rushed over just as Carlisle and Esme were trying to console her. "It's alright sweetie," Esme cooed. "Jacob will be fine."

"Bree…" Jacob breathed.

"Don't talk, Jake," Quil said, patting him on the shoulder only to have the injured werewolf to cry out in pain.

"Quil!" Leah growled, shoving him to the ground.

"Fuck you, Leah!" Quil muttered.

"Leave my sister alone," Seth growled, standing up to face the larger boy.

"Seth, sit the fuck down before you hurt yourself!" Jared said tiredly, not amused by the situation at all. Carlisle and Esme seemed at a loss of how to react to the werewolves and their profanity. I could hear Emmett and Jasper snickering somewhere behind me—hey, at least Emmett was in a better mood.

"Carlisle, will he be alright?" I asked, hoping the answer was no.

"I think so."

_Damn._

"His accelerated healing process is already kicking in… I fear that I may have to re-break his bones to set them correctly," the doctor said solemnly.

"Charlie is coming," Alice said suddenly, causing me to look up. Sure enough, my father's police cruiser was slowly coming to a stop in the Black's driveway.

I felt Caius's hand on my hip. "We should go talk to him. He'll probably be very upset. I believe you told me that he and Billy were close friends, no?" I didn't respond to Caius and just walked over to my father's cruiser as he slid out of the driver's side. His eyes were red from crying. When he saw Caius and me approach, he wiped away a stray tear that was making its way down his cheek.

"Bella," he breathed, pulling me into his arms.

My throat lit up in flames. I didn't breathe, but the thought of all of the blood slushing around underneath my father's skin was nearly too much. The thought of biting into his neck and draining all of his blood nearly sent me into euphoria. But no! I couldn't think like that! This was my father, not some rugged drunk I was stalking on the streets of Seattle. He was no pedophile, rapist, gang member, or serial killer. He was Charlie Swan, the chief of police, and a great man. He was not my prey. He was not my prey.

"Hi, dad," I said. My voice sounded rough and hoarse from my lack of air. I didn't dare breathe.

Charlie pulled away and appraised me for a moment. "Catching a cold, Bells?" he queried, but by the look in his eyes, I knew he wanted to inquire about my perfect face, my perfect figure, my perfect skin, my perfect lips, and my perfect hair.

"I think so," I replied in the same raspy voice.

"Well…" Charlie sighed. "The last thing I want is for you to get sick. Do you think the rain is doing something negative to your health?"

"Maybe," I murmured. "We'll be going back to Italy in a few days actually. I miss the warmth."

"Yeah… I'm sure," Charlie said, not appearing pleased by this news. "Anyway… where is… Billy?"

"On the beach," I whispered, hating the pain on my father's face. "He… he was attacked by some kind of… animal." That was half accurate. "Jacob tried to save him, but got badly hurt in the process. Dr. Cullen is tending to him."

Charlie nodded and Caius and I escorted him down to the beach. I watched with utter helplessness as my father sobbed over the lifeless body of his friend. I watched as Carlisle and the werewolves carried Jacob into his house and began the gruesome job of resetting his bones. I watched as my father bid us goodbye and went home, unable to take the situation at hand. I watched as Bree dry-sobbed over Jacob. I watched… I watched… I watched.

I was helpless. This was the first time since I became a vampire that I actually felt _helpless_. It was as if I were human again, and I could do nothing. The Romanians had hurt so many… and I silently vowed that I would get revenge; revenge for Billy, revenge for Jacob, and revenge for my father.

"Caius," I whispered as Carlisle finally exited the Black house after finishing setting Jacob's bones. The Cullen leader looked at me; in fact, all eyes were on me as I spoke—the Cullens', the Denalis', the wolves', the Voturis'—anxiously awaiting my words. "It's time to go home and mobilize our forces. We can't let the Romanians get away with this."

"Absolutely!" Felix, who had returned with the others after the scent ran cold. "We can't take this sitting down!"

"You know that we are with you," Carlisle said, watching me with kind eyes. "This attack was uncalled for, and has damaged many. We will fight with you."

"As will we," Sam spoke, stepping forward. "We will avenge our most revered elder, and fight alongside you. I'm sure Jacob will do the same."

"Us too," Tanya piped up. Her fragile-sounding voice seemed out-of-place in this conversation, but I still felt an overwhelming respect for her. "The Romanians have committed a great wrong here today—killing an innocent bystander, almost murdering a werewolf, and then having the nerve to attack members of the Volturi and nearly killing the Mistress… It is inexcusable."

"Thank you," Caius said, but he still looked at them with that hard look he usually carried in a crowd. "We will depart for Italy tomorrow. All who wish to accompany us, be at the Cullen house tomorrow by noon."

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	21. Chapter 21: Clouds

_Salvation - Chapter 21_

Finally! I'm not dead! The Chapter is right here!

I don't own Twilight.

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**21. Clouds**

Thus began our search for talented vampires for all corners of the globe to not only assist the Volturi in our fight, but also stand as witnesses. Caius phoned Marcus and Aro the night of Billy's murder, and the duo began to prepare for the upcoming fight. Aro especially was absolutely outraged that the Romanians dare show their faces to the Volturi again, and after he heard of one of their henchman's assault on me, he nearly ran off to Romania himself to take care of them. Marcus, however, was somehow able to talk him out of it.

Bree didn't return to the Cullen house with us that night; she remained with Jacob, never leaving his side. Slowly, I could feel the distance between us growing. Without even knowing it, she was surrendering herself to him. Caius didn't say a word about it, but I could just tell by the sympathetic looks he would shoot me now and then that he understood and supported me. I had a feeling that I should ask Eleazar about it, but I knew that now was not the time.

However, the black-haired, golden-eyed man approached Caius and me as we sat in the living room. Caius was sitting in the brown, leather chair Carlisle normally occupied as "man of the house" as Felix said, and I sat on his lap with my legs crossed. My lover's nose would occasionally lean in and sniff my hair, and sometimes he would whisper promises of pleasure and pain once we returned to Volterra, making me giggle.

Eleazar walked over to us and dipped his head in respect to Caius. "Master Caius," he addressed my mate respectfully.

"Eleazar," Caius replied somewhat stiffly. "It's… nice to see you again."

I shot a glance at Caius. "Again?"

"That's right, you don't know," Caius said, recognition flashing in his eyes. "Well I guess it makes sense that the Cullens didn't give you too many details about their Alaskan… relatives."

Eleazar narrowed his eyes slightly. "I left the Volturi to live a healthier life feeding off animals, and to live with my mate," he said.

"You were a part of the Volturi?" I inquired, genuinely curious of this vampire's history.

The black-haired vampire nodded. "For about a century… I arrived shortly after Carlisle left them. They valued me for my ability to see peoples' gifts and talents. I usually went around the world and scouted humans and vampires that could be of used to them. When I was in Spain, my native country, I met my mate, Carmen. We bonded quickly, but I dared not take her back to the Volturi with me since she had no valuable gift. So, we had to write letters to one another for a few decades or until I could get away and visit her once more. My love for Carmen made me realize that living with the Volturi wasn't the life I wanted, and Aro gave me his blessing to leave the coven," he explained.

Caius opened his mouth to say something, then closed it and looked away. I watched my mate curiously for a moment before pecking him softly on the cheek, earning a small smile out of him. I then turned back to Eleazar. "Caius," the man began, his gaze fixated on me rather than my mate. "You didn't tell me your mate was a shield."

My master snapped out of his reverie and looked up at him. "Shield? Do you think so?"

Eleazar nodded. "I'm nearly certain. I can't get a good read on her. I think it's only a mental shield, but a shield. I cannot examine her for other gifts because of her shield. She may possess more."

"What about Bree?" I asked suddenly. "Have you met her yet?"

He nodded once more. "Yes… She's a very… enchanting young lady. Carlisle's theory was right: she has an attraction gift to her, similar to that of Heidi, but more on an innocent level rather than Heidi's seductive qualities. It also seems that she has some form of shield penetration which is why she has affected Bella so deeply."

Everything made sense now; the way Bree drew me toward her, the fact that her gifts could affect me, when no one else's could. "Do you think that's why I react to her so strongly? I've never been under the influence of the power before and my mind doesn't know how to react to it?" I asked, rising from Caius's lap.

Eleazar thought for a moment before shrugging his shoulders. "It's a possibility."

There was no stopping the hold that Bree had, not only on me, but all people she came in contact with. They would be drawn to her no matter what—vampires and humans alike. I wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse for her.

"Bella?" Eleazar suddenly said, causing me to look up at him. "May I speak with you in private for a moment?"

I saw Caius visibly stiffen. His lips began to curl back into a snarl. Even now that I was a vampire, he was very protective of me. "It's alright, darling," I whispered to him before nodding to Eleazar.

He led the way out of the Cullen house and into the forest. As he started into the forest, I hesitated. Why would he want me alone in the forest? _This is Eleazar, Bella! He's practically a member of the Cullens! He wouldn't hurt me. The Cullens wouldn't stand for it… But then again… being too trusting can be the biggest mistake you can make._ Nevertheless, I followed him into the forest. Even in the darkness, I could make out the different colored leaves littered across the forest floor, a clear sign that autumn had taken hold of the land.

Eleazar led me a few yards away from the Cullen house and stopped in a very small clearing where three paths met at one forked intersection. "Bella, there is something you need to know about the Volturi," he said, turning to face me.

The sounds of branches cracking and other vampires approaching put me on guard. I let out a low growl as the Denali sisters emerged from the forest, Irina and Tanya standing beside Eleazar while Kate and Carmen hung back. "You need to know the truth," Tanya spoke firmly. "It is time I tell you of our history.

"The Denali coven was originated in Slovakia. I was created by a woman named Sasha, and we were the founding members of the coven. After time, we turned Kate and Irina as well. Little did we know, Sasha created another vampire—a child," Tanya said.

"An immortal child," I breathed, remembering how Carlisle once referred to Bree when he was hypothesizing about her hold on me.

Tanya nodded gravely. "I don't know if you know this part of the story, but Caius led the purge against those immortal children. He killed hundreds of them and all of their families. We didn't know about the child called Vasilii… but the Volturi found out and came to us. They killed the innocent child because he could not control his thirst, and Sasha—our mother—with him. Caius voted for our deaths, but Aro refused to allow him to kill us. He looked into our minds and saw that we had no knowledge of Vasilii, and allowed us to live. We will never forget that Caius voted for our destruction.

"We stand with you now only for our disliking of the Romanian coven, but _not_ because we are loyal to the Volturi. I will fight for the Cullens, and I will not require my family to do the same," Tanya finished. Just the cold look in her topaz eyes told me all I needed to know: this woman despised me for a number of reasons.

"You know that I won't let you go alone," Kate said, stepping up to stand beside her sister before glaring at me. "But I want you to know, that you have caused more trouble than you're worth."

"We're with you Tanya," Carmen said softly, taking her husband's hand.

All of the coven had consented except for Irina, who stood a few feet away from the others. "I will not," she finally said. "I will not fight alongside the werewolves that killed Laurent, nor will I fight alongside the Cullens who have betrayed us, not my associating with those dogs, but allowing the coven that killed our mother into their home! And, Tanya, have you forgotten that this… bitch is the reason Edward is dead?" she demanded, getting angrier and angrier with each word.

Tanya stiffened before swallowing hardly. "Edward was never mine in the first place… You learned the truth the same time I did—he was with Rosalie all those years."

Irina growled. "Still, those dogs killed Laurent because of her!" she snapped, jabbing a finger at me. "I doubt that he really tried to kill her! I bet those wolves got rid of him just because he was a vampire!"

"Maybe we shouldn't fight at all," Kate suggested. "If you're going to make a big deal out of it, that is."

"We cannot let the Cullens down," Tanya said with such finalism in her voice I was shocked when Irina proceeded to protest.

"Why? They let us down!"

"Shut up, Irina!" Tanya snarled, whipping around to face her. "I'm tired of hearing you whine about how horrible your life is because you lost Laurent! You lived two millenniums without him, you can get over him!"

Irina looked insulted. "How dare you?! You're my sister, and you're supposed to be supportive of me!"

"I may be your sister, but we have lives too, Irina! We've been through pain, and loss, and suffering too, not just you!"

The two sisters began to bicker, and I suddenly felt awkward standing there. I began to slowly back away when Eleazar stopped me. "Bella, my purpose for bringing you out is here is so that you realize what the Volturi are capable of. You hardly know anything about them—they are vicious, ruthless, and unforgiving… You are not like that, Bella. I can see that you aren't… I do not want you to be harmed."

I shook my head. "I won't be harmed! Caius is my mate and I love him with all my heart, and he feels the same way for me! Nothing will ever change that! I know why he was like that before. I know why he was ruthless; he told me. All that anger and hatred was a mask because he was the only Volturi leader without a power. He viewed that as a flaw and a weakness, so he turned himself into this monster, but he's beginning to rediscover himself, and he's changed so much since I've known him."

Carmen shook her head. "Bella, not even the innocence and purity of your love can change the monster he is inside."

I sighed and shook my head, looking at my feet. "You're wrong, Carmen. You're wrong."

* * *

Dawn came quickly, and by the time I had returned to the house, the first golden rays were peeking over the mountains. I found Caius upstairs, packing our suitcases. I walked into the room and came up beside him. "Hey," I whispered, not knowing what else to say.

"Hello darling," he murmured. "What did my old… friend want?"

I sighed and rested my hand on my mate's shoulder. "He led me out to meet up with the other members of the Denali members and they just talked…"

"About what?"

"You," I admitted softly. "And the Volturi… They told me about you and… the immortal children."

Caius said nothing and just continued to fold his dress shirts and place them into the suitcase he had opened on the bed.

"They told me how you voted for their deaths."

No response.

"They told me you were dangerous."

Nothing.

"I told them you'd changed… and that nothing you've done in the past would influence my feelings for you. I made it perfectly clear that I loved you and always would," I said, surprised by the strength in my voice. Only after I said it did I become overwhelmed by the truth in my own words. I would always love Caius no matter what. He was my savior—he saved me from Edward, he saved me from Victoria, he saved me from the horrible life I would have had if he hadn't entered my life. And, most importantly, he saved me from myself.

Caius stopped his folding and sighed. He ran one of his large, pale hands through his hair before facing me. "I knew they would speak to you about it… I could tell just by the way Eleazar approached you that he intended on telling you about my past…"

"It's nothing I didn't already know really," I said.

"Bella, there are a lot of things you don't know about me… Things that… that I need to tell you," he murmured, looking at me with sad black eyes. I could tell that he was thirsty, and this was not making it easier on him.

I nodded and sat down on the bed. "I'm ready to hear it."

He sat beside me and wrapped one arm around my waist. "Darling, please try to listen with an open mind… I am not this way anymore. You have changed me, sweetheart. You have changed me from the heartless man I once was, to a better individual. You saved me from myself, Isabella.

"Around 1000 A.D., I was nearly killed by a werewolf during a hunting expedition. It tore me to pieces and left them scattered all around the forest… This werewolf wasn't like those half-breed mutts you associate with; they were the Children of the Moon like those… Athena"—he spat her name with distaste—"set on us that night. It took Aro and Marcus weeks "to put me back together properly… Before this… Athena loved me, and I her."

I stiffened at those words. It was foolish of me to believe that Caius didn't love Athenodora. He did marry her after all and spent thousands of years with her. It only made sense that he loved her once. "What made he stop?" I dared to ask.

Caius sighed. "My near-death experience hardened me. I blamed myself and my weakness for the incident… I set to work to make all Children of the Moon extinct. Athenodora didn't understand my personality change. She didn't understand that I thought I was a weakness and a liability because I was without a gift. I… demonstrated my power by riding the world of the majority of the Children of the Moon. When they few left had gone into hiding, I turned my attention to the immortal children.

"We all knew that, like normal human children, they had a hard time controlling themselves. With normal children, as they grow, they learn restraint and patience, but the immortal children could not grow physically, or mentally. If a four-year-old was bitten and changed, it would always have the mind of a four-year-old, and the body of one. It was because of this that they could not control their thirst. Thus, they were the biggest cause of the exposure of our existence since they would go on massive killing sprees, slaughtering whole villages, and leaving survivors in their wake to spread the word of us.

"So, Aro put me in charge of tracking down and killing the immortal children created and the vampires responsible for their creation… Sometimes, we would destroy full covens if they knew of the child's existence and didn't inform us. Felix, Jane, Alec, Demetri and I were the usual gang that went on the punitive expeditions. Demetri because he would track them down, Jane and Alec to either subdue or hold off those who protested, Felix because he was a muscle man and stronger than any vampire we would come across, and myself to finish off the executions, and proclaim the laws so those who were not found guilty.

"We were on our way to Romania to check up on Vladimir and Stefan to make sure they were keeping their end of the bargain. This was about a century after the century-long war that occurred between our covens during our rise to power and their resistance. And it was then that we stumbled upon a nomad. Aro shook hands with him—as he does all of those he meets—and discovered the child created by the Denali coven's matriarch. The child was causing quite a ruckus, so we went to them, and took care of the child, and her creator.

"I didn't believe that the sisters did not know of the existence of the child, and voted for their death. Aro, examined the minds of all three sisters and declared them innocent. I knew that if we did meet up again, they would hold that vote against me, and they have… I will not lie to you, Isabella—you mean to much to me to keep the truth from you when you, above all others, deserve to know it—I was a ruthless monster unworthy of love. Just as I was unworthy, Athenodora abandoned me. Our love fell apart during this dark time in my life, and she found comfort in the arms of one of my most loyal, trusted guards. The relationship was only that of physical matters to him, but Athenodora felt more for him. She loved him… probably more than she loved me.

"Athena loved power above all else, though. She found... something… different in Demetri. He found a place into her heart, and for that, she would never abandon him… Yet, she desired to be the wife of Aro, or Marcus. She pursued Aro for a few years, until he brought Sulpicia home. I could tell she was furious that he had found, not just a woman to take the place she wanted, but one he truly loved unconditionally and would never betray. Marcus and Aro had mates that loved them, and they loved in return… Athena was like that for a while, until I changed…

"It was because of my hideous, vicious nature that she ceased loving me. To know that she—the woman I loved, trusted, and devoted my life to—gave up on me destroyed me. I deemed myself beyond salvation, and I allowed her and Demetri to have their affairs behind my back. I was not worthy of her love.

"Athenodora and I hardly made love together after my… personality change. She found her… physical satisfaction with Demetri, and so I sought mine with other women. There were many—human secretaries Aro hired; random, visiting nomads; beautiful, ice maidens of the far north we met on some our expeditions—and yet I was never satisfied… at least not until you came along.

"I believe I told you this part of my story before—how you changed me that day you walked into the throne room. The moment you walked in, the terrified look on your face as you clung to the arm of the man who betrayed you with such unconditional trust that he would protect you stunned me. I wondered how it was that you could still trust that boy even after he left you all alone, unprotected and broken, bleeding. I wanted to jump out of my chair and run to your side and protect you… but I didn't know why. It was because I didn't know why that infuriated me. You had this hold on me that I didn't understand, or want at the time.

"But I needed you, and you needed me. I see that now. We were meant to be together. And… I love you with all my heart, Isabella Swan," Caius said, using my full name. He stood off the bed and pulled me to my feet with him. Without warning, my mate got down on one knee and reached into his pocket. "I know I've asked you this before, but I wanted to be official. "Isabella Swan, I promise to love you, every moment of forever. I will never leave, abuse, threaten, or harm you in anyway. You are my life, my love, my reason to be… alive, if that's what I am. I will always cherish you, love you, protect you, and support you. With these promises said, would you do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me?"

With that, he pulled out a small, black, velvet box and flipped open the lid to reveal a massive diamond perched on a golden ring. My jaw dropped at it. This had to had cost him a fortune. "Caius…" I breathed. "It's huge!"

He smiled. "You haven't answered my question, darling."

"Yes!" I squealed pulling him up and pressing my lips to his quickly before looking back at the ring. "How much did this cost?" I demanded, examining it further.

"Nothing," he admitted. "It's one of the Volturi's oldest treasures. All of the wives get very expensive jewelry," he told me, wearing that devilish smirk.

I shot him a stern glance. "No more! I'm only accepting this because it's a wedding ring, but I don't want anything expensive."

His smirk just got bigger. "You shouldn't have told me that, _mia amore_ because now once you officially become Mrs. Caius Volturi, I'm going to shower you in jewels!"

"You better not," I said, as he removed the ring from the box and took my left hand in his.

He slipped the ring on my finger. "I think it's a nice fit—it's cold, it's hard, it throws rainbows in the sunlight… and like my heart, it is yours," he murmured, looking at down at me with his black, yet warm eyes. This was the Caius I loved, but a Caius I knew I would have a difficult time finding again. Maybe things would be different from now on that I knew the truth… Maybe he would act differently… Or maybe he wouldn't. I knew that he had to show his domination over the guard. I knew that he had this… self-fulfilling prophecy that declared he had to appear to be this strong, fearless man, but I knew the truth now. I always did. But now that it was confirmed, and that made me feel better.

* * *

When dawn broke, the Cullens, werewolves, and the Denalis were gathered outside the Cullen house. As Caius and I stepped outside, my eyes scanned the crowd—all of the Cullens were there; Sam Uley and Jacob Black in human form with the other wolves standing on the edge of the forest in their wolf forms; Tanya, Kate, Eleazar, and Tanya were also present. Irina was nowhere in sight.

Standing with Carlisle on one side and Jacob on the other was little Bree. Her tiny, pale hand held Jacob's large, tan one without a trace of fear on her face. Jacob seemed very smug about the whole situation, and that just made me want to punch him in the face and show him how strong my new body enabled me to be.

Caius's hand found mine. "Thank you for deciding to join us," Caius said, his voice sounding almost shaky, as if he was suddenly not confident speaking in front of them. Perhaps he wasn't used to giving thanks to people. "Carlisle and I discussed forms of… transportation the previous night and we decided that the quickest and easiest way to return home would be to just run… If the werewolves can keep up that is." His tone was not degrading or condescending, but neutral.

Sam nodded. "The swimming might pose a problem for the younger back members, but we can run."

Caius nodded. "I expected that the swimming would be a problem. I'm having Aro have one of the guards fly our private jet over for those that don't want to risk the water, but it can only hold a certain amount… With the pack as large as it is, I don't think there will be much room for any vampires to accompany them apart from the pilot and co-pilot."

"Makes sense," Carlisle murmured, exchanging a brief glance with his family members. I knew that none of the Cullens would object to the swim. The Denalis I was not so sure of.

I was busy watching Carlisle and Esme murmur to each other that I didn't notice Bree walk up to me. She tugged on the sleeve of my dark green long-sleeved shirt to get my attention. I turned to her and gave her a warm smile. She tried to returned it, but there was anxiety in her crimson eyes. "Jacob asked if I wanted to ride with them in the plane if there was room," she told me quietly. "Can I?"

Caius's eyes examined me intently as I nodded stiffly. "If you want to. It's not as if you need my permission."

Bree smiled happily and pranced back over to Jacob's side. She took his massive hand in hers a second time. I thought I felt my heart crack. Caius locked his arm around my waist and gently pressed his soft lips to my forehead—something that surprised me in front of, not just his guard and the Cullens, but the Denalis and werewolves as well. No one really took note of it, which I was somewhat thankful for, and we set off in the direction of the Atlantic.

Now, the most direct route meant traveling across the United States of America which was tricky business for close to fifty vampires and almost thirty werewolves. Since vampires could never get tired and had endless amounts of endurance, we could have made it to Italy in a matter of three or four days, but since we had the werewolves trailing behind, he had to stop periodically to give them—particularly the younger ones—a few rests.

Bree faithfully ran alongside Jacob in his massive wolf form. My mind played horrible tricks on me, causing me to imagine Bree's head to be torn off by his unnaturally large jaws, or have her knocked down and crushed by his huge paws. Every now and then, during our breaks when we were at a stand still waiting for the pack to catch their breath, I would shudder at my hallucinations. Caius was no mind reader like Edward, but he had a way of telling what I was thinking. He didn't need to be a mind reader—he just knew me that well. If Edward cared about me half as much as Caius did, he probably would have been able to predict my thoughts even if he couldn't read them. Every now and then, Jacob would lean over and lick her cheek with his gigantic tongue making Bree giggle. That kid had to be the bravest dog I'd ever met, or the stupidest, and I knew that Caius thought those exact same words when he saw it.

Travel became even more difficult once we got out of the Pacific Northwest. Sunshine became more common until it was more than abundant in our traveling places. It came to a point where we could not travel at all during the daytime and had to continue only at night. Luckily, autumn was beginning to grip the land even tighter. The days became shorter and the nights longer. In desperation to return to Volterra, our company began to take risks, traveling during sunset and dawn when the sun still threatened to expose our existence to any nearby human.

After five days, we finally reached the eastern coast. In Maryland, one of the Volturi guards met us in an open field and picked up the werewolves and Bree. The rest of us continued our journey into the ocean.

I was never fond of swimming. As a human, I would stand in the shallows and watch as the others would jump and play in the deep end. Most of the times, I wouldn't get in the water at all. I hated the empty feeling I received when in deep water. Knowing that I there was no floor beneath my feet made me paranoid. I was so scared that my feet would stop kicking and I would sink to the bottom like a rock and drown. However, as a vampire, I didn't need to breath, nor did I need to worry about water pressure or my ears popping. I could dive as deep as I wanted for as long as I wanted. Since I never really swam before in my life, Caius was very amused by my fascination with swimming in deep, open water. I spent most of our trip beneath the surface, looking down into the abyss and watching as schools of fish swam by. Whenever we would pass a reef, Caius would swim down and would point out different species of fish that were present in the menagerie.

Traversing the ocean took much less time due the absence of the werewolves. It only took about twenty-four hours before we reached Italian shores. Once we found one secluded enough, we clambered up on land and set off for Volterra. Many of our eyes were black—Caius's the darkest of us all being an obsidian color. He needed to feed, but I knew that his desire to be home overpowered his thirst. I, too, shared his yearning to return to Volterra. I hadn't thought much about it when I was in Forks, but now that I was back on Italian soil, I longed to see the beautiful city that became me home what seemed like ages ago.

When we finally reached Volterra, we didn't have to wait until twilight to travel the streets. Clouds blanketed the sky, blocking out the sun. However, I couldn't tell if that was a blessing, or a foreshadowing of the future. Two Volturi guards met us outside the citadel and escorted us inside. Eventually, Caius shoved his way between them and took the lead, pulling me along behind him. He was almost jittering with anticipation. I couldn't imagine how he must have felt in such an alien land like Forks, and now how relieved he was to be back in familiar territory. I was sure that a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

The two guards who Caius had shouldered out of the way darted ahead of us and opened the two double doors that led to the throne room. Inside, Aro and Marcus sat upon their thrones with other guard members surrounding them. There were even vampires present that I didn't recognize, and made a mental note to ask Caius about them later. Aro and Marcus both rose and descended the steps to greet us. To my surprise, Marcus and Aro both hugged their brother. "Welcome home," Aro murmured, smiling before he embraced me as well. "_Perché, sorella di look assolutamente magnifico! L'immortalità che si adatta bene, cara mia,_" Aro whispered before stepping away so Marcus could do the same.

Once the greetings were finished, Caius and his brothers turned to face the vampires we had brought with us. I stood somewhat behind them, smiling as my mate took his rightful place once more as leader of the Volturi. At long last, we were finally home, but for how long would that last?

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	22. Chapter 22: Thunder

_Salvation - Chapter 22_

At the end of this chapter, Alice is talking about the Romanians, just to clear it up. It's kind of vague.

This is a feelings chapter... Quite literally. There are a lot of mixed feelings all the characters are experiencing at the present time. Hope you like it.

Oh yes! And I'm back from, what my day-long break? Oh well. I just want to thank all of you for your support. You guys are so amazing, and after reading all the wonderful reviews, I thought one way to thank you was to work on the next chapter, and I hope that you like what I've created. You guys keep me writing, and I truly am blessed to know you all. I love you, and thank you again.

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

**22. Thunder**

The Volturi welcomed their Master and new Mistress with open arms. While those who had traveled with us were allowed a few days to recover, while the guards who had remained behind were required to answer to our every whim. Tigers and lions were flown in from Asia and Africa to provide top-notch food for the vegetarians while Heidi brought in humans almost daily. I tried not to think about the lives I was destroying when I fed, but whenever I saw the Cullens' solemn faces when I returned from feeding, the guilt hit me like a sledgehammer. I shouldn't feel this way. I shouldn't allow them to make me feel this way…

Jacob and his pack came to the Volturi palace at first, but were then sent away to a hotel in the city due to their undesirable stench. Bree went to the hotel with Jacob, seeming to truly enjoy his company. I didn't even get the chance to speak to her before she left. The absence of her was beginning to become more routine… Nevertheless, having cold turkey after spending so much time with her in the beginning was somewhat difficult. I still found myself drawn to her to an almost extreme degree. Was Bree even aware of this hold she had on me? And was she using it on Jacob as well? The thought of her making Jacob feel this way about her invoked what I could only describe as jealousy within me. It was foolish and completely unnecessary, but the feeling returned with new fire whenever I thought of the pair.

The first night, Caius and I stayed in our bedroom and just lay on the bed, wrapped in each other's arms. I think the aspect of war was finally beginning to take hold of him. It was dawning on him that in a very short period of time, we could lose each other. The second night, we spent it similarly, lying together on the bed. He leaned down and kissed my forehead before sighing. "Isabella… during the battle I want you to stay back with Sulpicia under guard," he whispered.

I narrowed my eyes. "Caius, you know that that's not going to happen. I'm staying by your side as much as possible."

Caius sighed. "The Romanians are vicious. They will kill you if they get the chance! You have next to no fighting experience, and they'll view you as an easy target."

"Well then I'll have Felix mentor me," I answered simply.

He sighed. "Isabella, I don't want to lose you again," he whispered silently. "I couldn't take it if I lost you."

"I could just as easily get snatched and killed standing on the sidelines!" I pointed out. "Do you really expect me to stand there in a dress wearing a poker face as you get dismembered? I don't think so! I'm going to fight and nothing you say can stop me Caius! I'll take precautions… I'll be careful, but I won't stand back and watch my family get murdered!"

Caius hung his head in defeat. By now, he knew better than to argue with me. "Everything will be fine," I soothed. "Now, I miss our tower," I told him, rising from the bed and prancing toward the door. I turned, expecting him to be right on me, prepared to sling me over his shoulder and dart up to the tower with me until dawn, but he remained on the bed, watching me sadly. "Wow, you must really be worried."

He smiled weakly and shrugged. "The thought of losing you is almost unbearable, Isabella… The last thing I want is for you to die in a battle that I brought you into…"

Sighing, I kissed his lips softly, entwining my fingers in his hair. Caius kissed me back slowly, almost reluctantly. I knew that he didn't want to stop, but I also knew he had to. He had a lot more to say before we made sweet, passionate love.

He pulled away first and took my face in both his hands. "Isabella, you feel this love and passion for me, and know I feel the same for you… You would feel the same if the situation were in reverse."

I sighed. He didn't understand. "That is why I'm doing this! If I didn't love you, or care about you, I probably wouldn't be putting my life at risk! Caius, you are everything to me, and I would love to keep you out of the battle, but I know that it's foolish to pursue a lost cause. The only thing I can think of to make it fair is to join you on the battle field. That way, if we die, we die together."

Caius's crimson eyes were still clouded with sadness as I kissed his lips a second time. This time, he kissed my back, deeper, locking his arms around my waist. Slowly, he guided me to the bed and pulled me into his lap. The next thing I knew, we were lying on the bed, with me on the bottom. Our lips melted together, and we hardly ever broke the kiss except to remove our clothes. Caius's shirt went first, and then mine. Even now, I marveled at his body. My shirt and bra soon followed his and were cast down to the floor as Caius began to knead my breasts softly, still kissing me faithfully.

He removed my pants and underwear. It was then that he finally broke our kiss and disappeared from my sight. My limbs were like jelly, and I couldn't even look up to see where my master had disappeared to. Something cool and went entered me, making me cry out. Caius's tongue swirled around in my wet entrance and then disappeared as he gently bit a glorious spot. It was enough to break the dam that contained me. I screamed, my back arching as I rode out the first orgasm of the night. How many more would we have? I wondered.

Caius lapped up all of my fluids eagerly. He planted on final kiss on my womanhood before returning his lips to my face. Before I could return any of the immense pleasure he just granted me, I felt his erect cock slide into me. I growled, reaching up and grabbing his hair. "You should have taken me to the tower," I hissed, pulling on his blond locks.

He chuckled and shifted to get a better angle. "Would you like to go now?" he jested, hitching my legs around his waist.

I didn't have a chance to respond—his lips devoured mine. Slowly, he began to thrust in and out. Our tongues battled for dominance, adding to the exotic pleasure of it all. Caius's movements accelerated to almost inhuman speeds until he finally threw back his head and released. His seed exploded inside me, causing me to follow his lead.

For a few minutes, we lay there on the bed, Caius's now flaccid member still within me, and my king's head resting on my chest, his right hand playing with my one exposed breast that wasn't acting as his pillow. I gently ran my fingers through his hair, occasionally kissing his forehead. If it weren't for the fact that we were both naked and his penis was still inside me, I would have compared him to a boy but… well you see why I can't do that!

I didn't know how many more times we had sex that night, but I did know that we had stopped when dawn finally broke. Caius had work to do with his brothers, and Alice had requested I met her out in the gardens. Caius dressed in his usual black robes while I slipped into a black dress that hugged my curves and showed just enough chest to tease the men, but not get me into too much trouble.

Caius and I departed with a passionate kiss before setting off toward opposite parts of the castle. Caius had given me directions to the gardens, and, with my new vampire mind, I could remember easily. This, of course, spared me the grief of going to Felix, Jane, or Alec who probably heard my… activities with Caius the previous night.

The garden was outside and, thankfully, it wasn't too sunny. It seemed that the storm clouds the previous day had, for the most part, drifted away, but there were a few lingering. The clouds were thin, and gray, just making it a dreary day. The sun was hidden behind them for the most part with a few rays seeping through here and there.

Alice sat by a beautiful fountain. A rearing horse made up the centerpiece, water spewing from its mouth and shooting back into the fountain. Alice sat on the edge of it, staring down into the water. When she heard me approach, she looked up and smiled. "Bella! Come here!" she called, waving me over.

I went to her side and saw what she had been looking at. The pond was full of koi fish. "I love these fish," Alice said, seeming fascinated by the beautifully-colored fish.

"Yeah," I said. "You wanted to see me?" She couldn't have called me down her just to show me the koi fish. Alice could be strange sometimes, but I knew she wasn't that strange.

Alice sighed and pulled a strand of hair behind her ears. "Bella… Carlisle and Esme wanted me to talk to you," she admitted, seeming to play coy herself. "They just… they want to make sure that you're making the right choices… you know… ones you won't regret later on."

"They don't want me to feed off humans," I guessed.

Alice smiled weakly. "You always were a smart one… but yeah basically. Bella… one thing that we've discovered from feeding off animals is that they help us form true bonds of love. That's why it is so difficult for Chelsea to change my loyalty. Aro has wanted me to be a part of his collections for as long as he's known that I've existed. He sent Chelsea out to try and change my loyalties to make me want to join the Volturi and leave the Cullens, but she couldn't. We think that it's because of the animal blood… What we have is true love when normal vampires usually tend to band together for convenience rather than because they care about each other."

"The Volturi members love each other," I told her. "They care about one another… What are you worried that Caius doesn't really love me?"

Alice shook her head quickly. "No! Bella, that's not what I'm saying! Caius loves you… trust me, I know. I knew it from the moment you two locked eyes in the throne room that you two were mean for each other. All I'm saying is that… the Volturi aren't all they're cracked up to be… They can be vicious monsters… And with the Romanians breathing down our necks, I fear that you might see them when they're in their most animalistic states… particularly Caius.

"Carlisle and Esme don't want you to feel guilty about killing the humans, but I want you to know that the Volturi aren't like us… I want you to be prepared for what you're going to see," Alice whispered.

I sighed and shook my head. "Alice… Caius already gave me his history… and I know that the Volturi can be assholes—the Denalis gave me that part of the story… But it's not going to make me think less of them. They're my family."

Alice looked at me with sad eyes before hugging me gently. "You're my sister, Bella… I just don't want to see you get hurt by what you might witness."

* * *

During the next few days, Caius, Aro and Marcus spent most of their time in the throne room going over plans and battle tactics. Meanwhile, I sought out Felix and Demetri to sharpen my fighting skills. I found the pair in a room that was completely barren of all furniture. Dents were broken into the floor and walls, and pillars that surrounding the large, rectangular room that gave it an Athenian style feeling were broken off. Felix and Demetri were sparring in the center.

Felix was definitely larger and stronger, but Demetri was surprisingly swift and dodged most of his attacks. He grabbed Felix by the arm and flipped him over and slammed him to the title floor. Felix snarled and grabbed the smaller vampire by the throat and swung himself over so he had Demetri pinned to the floor by digging his knee into the smaller vampire's back.

"Tap out!" Felix hissed. He had both of his hands on the side of his head. If it had been a real battle, Felix would have beheaded him without another thought, but this was training.

Demetri slammed his palm against the floor three times, signaling for Felix to let go. The winner did so, and rose to his feet to greet me. He gave a slight bow. "Good morning, Mistress. Come to watch the training?" he asked.

I shook my head and walked toward them just as Demetri pushed himself to his feet. I wore a dark gray t-shirt and a pair of jeans. My hair was pulled back in a bun on my head to make it more difficult to grab. "I'm here to be trained actually."

Felix and Demetri exchanged a stunned glance. The looks on their faces were almost comical. "And… Master Caius gave you permission to do this?" Felix inquired hesitantly.

"Well… he didn't exactly say it, but I think he knew I would come here eventually. I made it clear that I would fight alongside him when the Romanians attacked… but he said that before I could, I needed to learn how to fight. I thought that the second strongest vampire in existence and his sidekick could teach me," I told them smiling.

Felix narrowed his eyes, clearly angry at being referred to as the second strongest vampire. "Fine, my lady," he replied simply, motioning to the floor. "Let's spar."

Demetri stood on the sidelines while Felix and I stood face to face. I crouched low, prepared to spring. Felix didn't take any fighting stance and just darted forward. Knowing better than to take him head on, I jumped into the air and right over his head. I spun around and tried to hit him in the back, but he had already tuned and grabbed both my arms in one of his massive hands. He had a fist right in my face before I could blink. "You lose," he said simply. He didn't hit me, just let me go. If it had been a real fight, he would have easily punched my head right off.

"It was too obvious that was your plan," Demetri commented. "Try darting to the sides, or going under them."

"Try to be quick too," Felix added. "When facing a large opponent like myself, you might only have one advantage—your speed. Of course, you're probably stronger than most, but brute strength only goes so far unless you really know how to use it."

I nodded, determined to get it down. I was just glad that they were actually trying to mentor me rather than make fun of my fighting and ridicule me. We took a few steps back and faced each other again. "Don't hold back," I muttered.

Felix smirked. "Not in my nature," he answered before lunging for me. In his leap, I saw the gap open beneath his feet and dove for it. I slid under him and grabbed arm and swung him around into one of the walls. The impact didn't phase him, and he was soon on me again. He had my face in both his hands when I hit him in the groin, sending him right to his knees. "FUCK!" he shouted.

Demetri winced on the sidelines.

I grabbed Felix's head in my hands and smirked. "I win."

He growled. "Save that as a last resort on the battlefield, would you?!" he hissed.

Since Felix was apparently in a lot of pain, it was Demetri's turn. He was a lot faster and more nimble than Felix. Those factors made him a more difficult opponent. Felix's main advantage was his strength, but since we were both evenly matched in that area of skills, I just had to out hustle him. Demetri was different.

We trained for the whole day until Caius came in to collect me. I had gotten relatively good, and Felix had recently recovered, so I was facing him when Caius entered. Unfortunately, Felix had me by the throat and swung me over his shoulder and into the tile floor making it shatter. "FELIX!" I heard my mate roar.

Before I knew it, Caius had the six-foot vampire by the throat. "You're supposed to train her, not break her in half!"

I sighed. "Caius, calm down! I was doing pretty well until you came in. Besides, how will I learn to not makes mistakes if there aren't consequences?"

Caius let Felix go and went over to me. He helped me up and then gave me a stern look. "Isabella if you would have just told me that you were a masochist, I would have understood, and we would have made time to satisfy your need in the tower, but this is ridiculous!"

I gave Caius my best glare. "That's not what I meant and you know it, you fool!" I snapped. "I'm trying to learn how to be a decent fighter and not get myself killed!"

"You're the one who's insisting on it," he reminded.

"I know, and I don't have a problem with that!" I hissed. I looked at Felix, even more determined than ever to show Caius that I was a big girl and could handle myself. "Again!"

Felix gave me a dubious look before looking at Caius for permission. My mate sighed and waved his hand for the mock fight to commence. This time, I made the first move, running straight toward him. Felix reached for me and I ducked under his arm, grabbing his biceps and flipping him over. Felix rolled, causing me to let go of his arm. He grabbed my ankle and yanked me off my feet. I hissed and punched him in the face, not hard enough to cause serious damage, but enough to stop him, I took that chance to grab both sides of his face. Felix rolled us over so I was on top of him and grabbed my face, shoving me backward.

"Stop!" Caius growled.

We both immediately stopped. I looked at Caius, and the distress on his face broke my heart. "Felix, you're gonna knock her head off!" he growled.

I clambered off the larger vampire and we helped each other to our feet. "No, I'm not!" Felix defended. "I'm not doing it hard enough to cause damage—neither of us are."

"He's telling the truth, Caius," I said watching my mate worriedly. I left Felix and went to Caius's side. I took his hand gently. "I think I've had enough training for today," I whispered. "Why don't we go do something else? Just the two of us?" I asked suggestively. I was hoping that by satisfying Caius nightly, it would help persuade him to let me train more.

Caius smiled weakly. "Heidi is bringing in humans this evening. I thought that you should feed... That way you'll be as strong as you can."

I couldn't help but smile, and take my mater's hand. Even though he didn't enjoy the fact that I was training with the guys, he supported me… for the most part. "That sounds great," I said. Caius led the way to the throne room. Most the coven were already present, and I even glimpsed the Cullens in the corner. My confidence failed and as Caius proceeded to his throne, I froze a few feet behind and gazed at the Cullens. Alice's face was looking at me sadly.

"Isabella?" Aro's voice called me. "Aren't you coming to stand by your mate?" He was looking at me curiously. I shot a quick glance at the Cullens and he followed it. Once he realized, he nodded in understanding, turning to face forward.

Nevertheless, I swallowed the lump in my throat and went to Caius's right so I was between his and Aro's thrones. Sulpicia was on the other side of Aro, holding her husband's hand happily. Why couldn't I be so at ease? I envied Sulpicia's grace and poise. I imagined that I, too, would gain confidence with time, but I could never compare to the auburn-haired beauty. My own looks had improved greatly since my change, but Sulpicia even surpassed me. Like all vampires, there was not a single blemish on her face, and she had soft, lush pink lips and red eyes that were just a few shades brighter than her darker-colored hair. Without warning, the Queen's crimson eyes met mine and she gave me a reassuring smile and a subtle wink.

I returned my attention to Caius, ignoring the Cullens entirely now. I could feel their eyes on me as I rested my hand on Caius's, but ignored them. Caius's thumb stroked my hand reassuring as he curled his fingers around mine. "Be strong for me, _mia amore,_" he pleaded softly.

A few moments later, the double doors swung open and Caius entered, leading in a whole herd of humans in behind her. The tourists were smiling and speaking to one another in soft voices. Some flashed pictures of the room around them. Then, there were a silent few who were looking at us. Fear was present in their eyes, and I could smell their fear. They had figured it out. They knew there was something wrong; these people stood and sat too still and were too beautiful to be normal.

The scent of their blood and the beating of their hearts nearly drove me over the edge. My entire being tensed, screaming at me to jump forward and take the nearest human. Caius's eyes had darkened to obsidian, and he too was already picking out targets. The vampires around me tensed. We were all waiting apprehensively for Aro to give the word and let the feast begin. I found myself edging forward, but Caius's grip on my hand tightened, reminding me to remain where I was until Aro gave the command. I whimpered quietly.

Their scent was killing me slowly. My throat had ignited in white-hot flames the moment those doors opened, and the pain was becoming increasingly unbearable. I needed their blood. I needed their sustenance. The Cullens were a distant memory now as I focused on the hunt. Carlisle—the only one who had never once fed off humans—would never know the orgasmic pleasure that ravaged our bodies when we tasted that blood. He would never know the feeling of it sliding down the back of our throats and quenching the flames that seemed to consume our entire beings. I pitied him.

Aro rose to his feet, something that my predatory mind saw as a threat. My lips began to curl back in a snarl. I felt suddenly angry; furious. I wanted to lunge for him and decapitate him before slaughtering the humans myself. Why did he get to give the word anyway? Why the fuck was he so special?! I was stronger than he was! I could kill him! Why didn't I?

A low growl rumbled in my chest, and Caius's grip tightened, his hand now around my wrist. "Isabella!" he hissed under his breath.

I snapped my head around and gave him the best death-glare I was capable of. "Back. Off," I snarled, my voice so low it sounded demonic.

Luckily, just as I faced the humans, Aro gave the word, and we all charged forward. I tore my arm away from Caius and leapt into the crowd, landing on the chest of a middle-aged man. I had him pinned to the floor, and he looked up at me with terrified eyes. I could smell his fear. It did nothing to me. Why didn't the Cullens see that this added to the pleasure?! Seeing the fear in their eyes only added to effect; knowing that he was at my mercy gave me a rush of satisfaction. I was the huntress. I was a mistress. I deserved to be feared. I was a monster.

Without warning, I sunk my teeth into his neck, relishing his scream. His hot blood rushed into my mouth, and I swallowed it selfishly. The blood soothed the fire. It calmed my beast that lurked deep within, only ever coming out during feeding time. The man ran dry too quickly. I dropped him and looked up, my eyes darting wildly around, searching for my next victim. The thrill of the hunt was like adrenaline for vampires. I felt alive.

A woman cowered in the corner, clutching a child to her breast. With a roar, I rushed toward them and tore the boy away, snapping his neck in one swift movement. In the next, I had the woman pinned against the wall, my hand on her throat. I glared at her, baring my teeth. She looked down at me, petrified. Before she could scream, I bit her, and drained her as well. The boy was next. He was merely a snack.

After the feast, we dumped all the corpses into the sewer. Once we had calmed down and were able to behave like civilized beings once more, Caius and I found each other in the throng of vampires. Caius smiled, his eyes a bright red color. He even looked better—happier. My mate wrapped his eyes around me and pulled me to his side. It was then that I noticed the Cullens. They remained their throughout our feeding, watching. Carlisle's eyes were just sad—he knew this was coming. He had lived with the Volturi for a couple decades. Esme looked absolutely horrified and buried her face in her husband's chest, refusing to look at me. Alice and Jasper were watching me. Their gazes were stern, yet understanding. They knew the feeling I received when I was feeding. They had done so themselves, and they thought no less of me for it. Emmett just looked on, impassive.

Caius and I returned to our room. I sat on the bed, gazing at the floor, while Caius went over to his desk to finish up some paperwork. My conscience began to betray me. I thought of the man I had killed—did he have a family? A girlfriend? A wife? Someone of value to him? Did I kill a father, widowing a poor human and leaving a child, or children without a father? Then, my mind drifted to the mother and son. How horrified she must have been when I murdered her son—an innocent child—without a second thought? What about the boy? He was so young—no older than nine years old. I destroyed a life. I destroyed a child that could have grown up to be a doctor, or a firefighter, or a policeman like Charlie. I crushed his dreams in a flick of my wrist. Another thought was bothering me: all these souls—all these spirits… Where did they go?

When Caius had finished up, he came over and sat beside me. He took his hand in mine and ran his thumb over my knuckles. "Tell me, darling," he whispered. "What is churning around in that gorgeous mind of yours?"

"Where do they go?" I asked softly. "Where to the souls of the people we kill go to?"

Caius sighed and thought carefully about it for a moment. "Well, if you're a religious person, they go to heaven or hell, or whatever your words for it are… but if you're atheist… well I don't know. I suppose they believe in something… Or just lights out." He looked at me curiously. "Why do you ask, love? What's on your mind?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "I guess I just feel bad for killing those people."

Caius sighed. "We have to, love."

"We don't have to kill them to survive," I pointed out. "We can go without feeding."

"But the pain we would experience would be comparable to, if not worse than hunger. Humans hunt deer and animals for food, and sometimes they hunt them for pleasure as well. They raise livestock from birth for that purpose—feed the population. If humans can kill these animals without a second thought, then we are entitled to do so as well," Caius said simply.

"But they're sentient creatures…"

"Do you doubt that animals know fear and pain? They might not experience love, or sadness like we do, but I know they can feel pain and fear. Humans are some of the heartless creatures there are, Isabella."

"Not all of them."

"You're right. Some of them aren't heartless… but many of them are. Darling, you need to get over this. You can't feel like this forever. It will only bring you more pain. Don't think of it, please," Caius said before kissing my temple.

A knock sounded at the door, making me jump. I hadn't heard anyone approach. "Caius," Alice's voice sounded outside. There was fear in her voice.

Caius shot up and opened the door to reveal Alice's face. It was paler than usual, and her eyes rested on me. "One week," she breathed. "We have one week until they arrive."

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	23. Chapter 23: Lightning

_Salvation - Chapter 23_

I will try to upload the next chapter as soon as possible. No guarantees though.

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

**23. Lightning**

My battle training went into overtime. Felix and Demetri worked with me from dawn until dusk. At night, Jane, Aro and even Kate Denali helped me work on controlling my shield. Aro told me that powers could be enhanced and improved with training. Jane and Alec were living proof of it—they had greatly mastered their talents since arriving with the Volturi and he believed that I could do the same. Kate, who also had a form of a shield volunteered to assist us.

Kate's shield was much different than mine. Hers wasn't a physical or a mental shield but it did protect her in battle. Kate could project an electric shock all throughout her body. However, she could only project it from her hands in the beginning, and as she worked with it learned to make it travel through her whole body. Aro believed that I might be able to project my own shield over a large group of people to prevent them from mental attacks. Vampires didn't sleep and Caius and I weren't exactly into the mood to make love with the situation being as desperate as it was, so I was up for anything.

"I'm going to shock Caius," Kate explained, walking over to my mate who stood across from me. "Your goal is to push your shield out so it not only protects yourself but him too."

I gave Caius a dubious look. "Are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked quietly. I knew this would take a while and he would have to go through a lot of pain before I actually got it right.

He gave me a reassuring smile. "Of course," he murmured. "Whatever helps you, I'm willing to do."

Kate nodded and placed her hand on Caius's shoulder. In the next moment, I saw the electricity radiate off her hand and penetrate his shoulder. My mate snarled and clenched his hands into fists. I tried, desperately, to protect him. I needed to protect him. I could feel something—I don't know what—stretching away from me. It was the strangest sensation I had ever felt in my life. It was as if a part of me was moving away from the whole and moving toward Caius. The effort to accomplish this was so great, it nearly knocked me off my feet.

I let out a breath—not realizing I had been holding one—and whatever had been stretching snapped back into place around me. I was gasping for unneeded breath, and for the first time as a vampire, I felt weak—mentally drained. Kate stopped, allowing Caius to relax. "You felt it," she guessed, looking at me almost curiously.

A part of me wanted to fall to my knees cover my hand with my heads and never do that again, but I resisted. "Yes… it was like… something was stretching away from me… A part of me was leaving… it was literally my shield… my protection was leaving and I felt vulnerable."

Aro and Jane were watching a few feet away with wide, fascinated eyes, while Caius just looked upset by the whole event. "I don't like this," he growled, shouldering Kate out of the way so he could wrap his arms around me. "It puts me in pain and causes my Isabella to feel insecure… Aro, it has bad idea written all over it."

I shook my head. "No… no I can do it. I want to do it," I whispered. I hated the feeling of it, but if I could protect the Volturi, and their allies from the Romanians in any way, I wanted to do it. Still, when my shield left me, I felt as if I were standing naked in a public place, completely exposed. "I want to do whatever I can to help."

So, the training continued with Kate shocking the life out of my beloved and me failing miserably trying to protect him. It was nearly three in the morning when Kate made a comment that sent me over the edge. "Perhaps we aren't giving her enough incentive," she said, taking her hand off Caius's shoulder. "Maybe we need someone more important to her to stand here and be in pain."

"You can't get anyone more important," Jane pointed out. "Master Caius is Mistress Isabella's world."

"There is one person," Kate muttered, eyes locking with Aro. "We could go get Bree."

A roar tore from my chest. "Oh, hell no!" I snarled, darting forward. Before Kate even knew what hit her, I had my hand fastened around her throat. I could both feel and see that Kate was trying to shock me, but my shield was protecting me. Bree was with Jacob now, but that didn't mean I still didn't care about her, or want to protect her. "If you bring Bree into this—or even try to—I will kill you! Felix has been giving me lessons! Believe me, bitch, I'm capable!"

Caius's arms wrapped around my waist. "Let her go, darling," Caius whispered. "She is only trying to help you."

I growled and tore away from him, flinging Kate across the room. "I'm done," I hissed, glaring at the beautiful blond woman. "This training session is over." It was official: I greatly preferred training with the guys than dealing with that bitch.

Without waiting for Caius's or Aro's response, I stalked out of the training room where Felix, Demetri and I had trained earlier that day, and headed off toward the room Caius and I shared. I was fuming as I stormed down the hallways, ignoring everyone I met. Once I got to our room, I sat on the bed, thinking about the whole ordeal.

A few moments later, the door opened. I looked up, thinking I would see Caius, but instead, I saw little Jane standing there. "Mistress," she greeted me, dipping her head respectfully.

"Jane?" I asked, unable to keep the surprise out of my voice. "What are you doing here?"

Jane took a deep breath. "I'm here to speak with you about my power, my lady… Well mine and my brother's. Did Master Caius ever tell you our story?"

I shook my head.

She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "Just as well… Alec and I are twins—as you know. We were born a long time ago… I can't remember when. In fact, I can't remember much about my early life, but Aro helped us remember and filled in the holes where my brother and I couldn't. People always accused us of being witches because we… had a way of influencing the people around us. That was why Aro was interested in us—he knew that when we became immortals, our 'powers' would be much greater. But we were still children when Aro found us, and it would have been illegal to create us then.

"But the people of our village were suspicious of us. They still believed that we were witches and wanted to get rid of us. You know that the most popular way of the execution of those accused of witchcraft was being burned at the stake… and that's what they did. They tied Alec and I to a pole and surrounded us with hay bales and lit them on fire. Aro saw this, and tried to save us. He removed us from the fire and killed our whole village so there would be no witnesses. He bit us both and changed us into vampires at age thirteen or fourteen.

"During our transformations, Alec and I were both thinking different things. Alec wanted the pain to disappear. He wanted to die, or just go someplace where he couldn't feel anything. I, on the other hand, wanted to inflict the pain I felt on others. I wanted those monsters who did this to my brother and I to burn. I wanted them to feel the way I did… Aro believes that the way we felt during our change influenced our powers. Because, whether it was luck or something else, I got the talent to inflict that pain on my enemies, and Alec was able to take away the pain and the senses. He was pretty much the antidote to me.

"My point us, when you were changed, you were in a very vulnerable place, and I think that when you push your shield out, your feel the vulnerability and fear you felt when you were attacked by all those newborns. Maybe… being without your shield enclosed around you so tightly reminds you of being human. I don't know… it's a thought. But I do think that you are very strong, Isabella. I think that you are one the strongest of us all—physically, mentally, and power-wise," Jane said.

I looked up at her and smiled weakly. "Thank you, Jane," I whispered, standing to face her. "And I'm so sorry that happened to you… I wish that someone could have been there to protect you then."

Jane shrugged. "Aro was. He saved Alec and me. He is our father and we love him. We would do anything for him and the Volturi, and I know that you would do the same for us. I know you want to help us, but you're running yourself ragged. We may be vampires and we may be immortal, but we aren't machines. We can feel and we can make ourselves sick if we work too hard… maybe not sick physically but mentally."

I couldn't help but smile at Jane. When I first came to the castle as a human, she looked down on me indignantly, but now we had become friends. "Thank you, Jane," I murmured.

Jane looked down almost sheepishly. "You're welcome, Mistress. I just thought it would offer you some peace of mind." With that, the young girl left, leaving me alone in my room to ponder what she had said.

Moments later, the door opened a second time. This time, my mate entered. He said nothing and went to my side, gently took my hand in his. "I know it frustrates you," began softly. "And I know that you are under a lot of stress with everything that is going on. You don't have to do this, darling. The Volturi are the most powerful vampire coven in existence. Jane and Alec's gifts are enough to protect us, love. Plus, this much pressure on you can't be good for you even if you are a vampire. Mastering your gifts takes time. There is no way that you can perfect it within a week. No one expects that of you."

I sighed and rubbed my thumb across the back of his hand. "I know. I just get frustrated. I want to do it, and I feel like I need to do it, but I can't. I just... don't know how, or I'm not strong enough."

He frowned. "That's not it at all, Isabella. You are the strongest person I know. Like I said, these things take time. It took Jane and Alec almost a century to get to where they are today, and they are still learning new things. Your skill will come with time."

"We don't have time, Caius!" I growled. "We have one week until the Romanians are upon us!"

He sighed. "I know, Isabella... I know. But we have a decent guard and great vampires with us. We will be fine. For right now, though, I think it would be best if you just focused on your training with Felix and Demetri. Right now, I think keeping you alive throughout the battle is more important than enhancing your powers."

I nodded. Caius was right, as usual. "Okay. I should... I should probably go ask them about training. I'm getting better, but they both agree I have a lot of work to do."

"You're the strongest vampire in existence, sweetheart," Caius said, smiling slightly. "You'll be fine."

The Romanian man with that nearly killed Jacob, and the one who tore off my arm... The man who was stronger than me. It wasn't the fact that he was stronger than me that made me scared, it was the fact that I was stronger than Felix and Emmett. I was the strongest vampire alive... but he was stronger. If he was stronger than me, he was stronger than everyone. His strength was an undeniably huge asset. Did the Romanians know this? How could they? They didn't know that I had beat Felix in that arm-wrestling match. Perhaps they thought that I was just some weak little vampire. Did the unnamed vampire himself know his own strength? I wondered.

"Isabella?" Caius inquired softly, looking at me with inquisitive eyes.

I snapped out of my reverie, looking up at him. The look on my face must have showed that I was somewhat startled by his interruption. "Is something wrong?" he asked me gently.

A part of me longed to tell Caius of the powerful Romanian vampire, but how could I? Should I really admit my weakness to him? Was it really a weakness? I looked into his eyes and a rush of relief came over me. This was Caius; my mate, my lover, my ruler, my master, my king. I loved him more than anything in the world! Why was afraid to tell him about this? He wouldn't think less of me!

"That... that day on the beach," I whispered quietly. "When Billy was killed and Jacob was attacked... the vampire who attacked Jacob, and then me... He was the one who tore of my arm. Caius, he was stronger than me. When he attacked me, I couldn't break his old, and I couldn't shove him off, and I'm stronger than Felix! This... this vampire is stronger than me, Caius. I can't stop him, and if I can't, no one can."

Caius was silent for a long moment. "Do you think they are aware of his strength?"

I shrugged. "I'm not sure."

He sighed. "It's better if they don't. In the battle, if possible, you and Felix both should try to take him down. Jane could help, obviously. I'm sure she'd very much enjoy putting that bastard who hurt you in pain. She greatly dislikes it when people injure or insult her masters and mistresses, as you know."

I smiled weakly at the thought of Jane smiling smugly as a huge, strong vampire fell to his knees in pain under her mere command. Nevertheless, Jane's story made me think of her differently; I didn't view her as some sadistic individual anymore (even though she could be the nicest person on Earth at times) but someone who had been severely hurt. She couldn't protect herself or her brother back then, but now she can. She can protect not just herself and Alec now, but also her family. There was much more to Jane than anyone ever really thought there was.

"I know... I should go track Felix down. I need to practice," I told him, standing up.

Caius mimicked me. "I think I shall join you. It wouldn't hurt to brush up on my own fighting skills as well."

A familiar, pleasurable jolt rushed through me at the thought of Caius kicking ass. I smiled widely and took my mate's hand. "What are we waiting for?"

* * *

We found Felix in the lobby flirting with Gianna, the human secretary, and that wasn't anything unusual. Like always, Felix was wooing the poor human girl and rendering her almost useless. Any more smooth talking from the guard, and I feared the poor girl would collapse into a pile of jelly with the way she was staring at him. Caius just seemed annoyed by the whole situation.

"Felix!" he barked, making the six-foot tall vampire nearly jump out of his skin. He pushed himself away from the counter he had been leaning over while speaking to Gianna and stood up straight, trying to look formal and obedient as if he hadn't been flirting with someone he shouldn't have been flirting with not two seconds ago.

"Master," Felix stated, dipping his head in respect. "Mistress."

"I called for you five minutes ago," Caius growled. "Where were you?"

Felix's face got paler than usual. "I was... detained, Master."

"I can see that," Caius noted, his gaze floating over to Gianna before returning to his guard. "You can bid your plaything goodbye now, Felix. We need to train."

Felix nodded. "Yes, Master." He looked to Gianna and gave her a stiff not before following Caius and me out of the lobby.

Once we were out of the human's earshot, Caius turned to Felix. "Don't make it a habit of going to see her," he said sternly. "She's human. Aro will decide her fate, not you, Felix. You know the deal we have with the humans who work with us. She is subject to being changed, but she may also become dessert. Don't forget that part. You know that many experience the latter."

Felix looked down, appearing ashamed. "I know, Master... but Gianna would make a good vampire—"

Caius cut him off. "Do not have this conversation with me. These humans living here are Aro's doing, thus, he is responsible."

Felix looked like he wanted to say more, but just remained silent. Once we reached the training room, Felix seemed to forget all about Gianna. His mind went into fighting mode the moment we crossed the threshold, and his wasn't the only one. Caius also visibly changed. His face became harder; colder. A look of grim determination settled upon his face as he appraised the task at hand. There were two other guards in the room—Demetri and Santiago. The pair was sparring in the center of the room, both so focused on their duel that they didn't even notice our entry. A few moments later, the fight was ended as Santiago slammed Demetri to the floor.

"Do you know what you did wrong, Demetri?" Caius inquired, making both guards freeze.

"Master Caius!" they both gasped simultaneously. Demetri leapt to his feet and Santiago put his hands behind his back. They both dipped their heads respectfully.

Caius dipped gave them a curt nod, acknowledging their submission. "Can you tell me your mistake, Demetri?" he asked again.

Demetri nodded. "I lost my footing and Santiago saw it. He was able to knock me off balance, and from there, he had the upper hand and could have easily beheaded me."

My mate nodded, seeming mildly pleased by his response. "You're right. If Santiago was a Romanian, you wouldn't be walking away from that battle."

Demetri nodded, seeming somewhat disappointed with himself. He then raised his eyes to me. "Is Mistress Isabella ready to continue her training?" he asked with a small smirk. He was arrogant because he had beaten me before. He knew that he could beat me… And he would in the end. This was his chance to show off to Caius on an opponent not as skilled. I think Caius was on to his plan, though.

"She is," he said, placing his own hands behind his back and walking toward him. "And I will be joining her today."

Both Demetri and Santiago's eyes widened. "You? Master?" he inquired as if he were having a difficult time wrapping his brain around the idea of his master training with him.

Caius smirked at the guards' reactions. "Yes. I need to keep myself in shape as well and keep my skills sharp."

I smiled as Felix went over to his companions, and the three guards got together. They began to try to decide who would take on Caius first. Finally, Felix—otherwise known as "the victim"—came forward. Caius nodded at him before they both stepped onto the floor. Demetri and Santiago quickly retreated and came to stand beside me. "Master Caius is the best fighter in the entire coven, Mistress," Santiago whispered as my mate and Felix turned to face one another in the center.

Without warning, Caius darted forward. I had ridden on his back before when I was human, and had ran alongside him as a vampire, but now that I watched him move with speed, precision and power as he fought the taller, stronger guard, I was in awe. As good a fighter as Felix was, Caius's skills even surpassed his. The pair dueled in the center tirelessly, matching each other blow for blow. Finally, Felix made a fatal mistake: he gave Caius just enough time and space for my master to take him by the neck. In one swift movement, Caius could have twisted the man's head off, but instead, he calmly let him go.

Caius fought Demetri next and beat him in a matter of minutes. Santiago took longer, but Caius soon triumphed over him. I no longer feared for my mate's safety. I realized that he was more than capable of protecting himself. He was a fantastic fighter. I wanted to learn from him. I wanted him to teach me to be quick, powerful, and precise.

I walked out onto the floor, preparing to ask him that, when the door to the room flung open. "Master Caius!" Jane screeched, running into the room. "We're under attack! The Romanians are here!"

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A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	24. Chapter 24: Storm

_Salvation - Chapter 24_

Okay, there is A LOT more going on during this battle than was told. This chapter is from Bella's perspective and this is only about what Bella sees and hears. The Romanians are absolutely over running the castle and coming in almost every entrance possible, but most of the Romanians are uncontrollable, inexperienced newborns, or aren't well-trained in fighting. A whole other battle is going on in the throne room while Bella is in the garden. Just keep that in mind. Because if you think that just what Bella experienced is all that's going on, it might seem not as dramatic, but there is a lot more happening than she's seeing.

I tried to make this chapter the best I could because it's very important. I hope you like it! You might hate me by the time this is over, but I hope it won't be too bad. :) Things will get better.

I don't own Twilight. Sorry bout that.

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**24. Storm**

We all rushed to the throne room just in time to see the Romanians burst in through the double doors. "Volturi!" Aro's voice sounded somewhere within the crowd of vampires. "Attack!" Upon his word, the Volturi vampires rushed forward to meet the Romanians. Felix and Demetri ran past Caius and me and surged into the mass of people. I watched as Felix easily beheaded one of the opposing vampires. Demetri did the same, the two friends sticking close to each other, helping each other.

Caius rushed toward into the crowd, and I followed him. He immediately beheaded one of the guards and flung another straight to me. I quickly punched off his head and proceeded to follow Caius. We worked together, fighting side-by-side, helping one another. Things were going along easily; the Volturi had suffered no losses and the Romanians were dropping almost upon entry. They were being slaughtered. We could win this battle with no casualties on our side.

I was punching a female vampire, when a pair of arms grabbed me around my throat. I gasped and elbowed my assaulter in the ribs, trying to escape his grasp. I eventually squirmed out of his tight grasp and kicked him away from me, sending him to the ground. Snarling, I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him up, only to feel someone jump onto my back. Slender, womanly legs wrapped around my waist and small hands locked around my face, I heard the familiar porcelain snap and my vision began to slightly fade.

A moment later, the weight was lifted from my back and my mater's snarl split the air. I was still half in and half out of consciousness. When I finally regained my senses, I was seated behind one of the thrones with Caius and Aro leaning over me. Marcus stood nearby, fending off Romanians that go to close.

"Isabella?" Caius's frantic voice sounded. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "They double-teamed me!" I spat with distaste standing with Caius's help. "Those fucking bastards!" I turned to see the battle that was still playing out in front of us. It felt almost surreal—like I was sitting in a movie theater watching a scene that never really happened; it was all pretend. But it _was_ real. I never thought this would happen, and yet it was flashing by right before my eyes.

"Aro!" a woman's voice screeched, snapping me out of my daze.

Caius, Aro, Marcus and I turned around to see Sulpicia rushing into the room, a large, burly man pursuing her. Aro let out a snarl of rage and jumped in between them. The man pulled back his arm and tried to punch Aro in the face, but the black-haired man ducked right under him and flipped him over. The man gasped as Aro grabbed him by the neck and twisted his head off. Once the man lay headless, Aro rushed to his mate's side. "Are you alright, my love?" he asked, sounding genuinely concerned. He put his hands on his wife's waist and looked her over carefully.

She nodded. "More are coming in from the west side through the gardens! That guard and another made it up to the tower! Corin is dead," she sobbed dryly. "Corin… Corin was able to kill one of them, but the other beheaded her. There was an entire army gathering in the garden, awaiting orders! They've caught us unawares and they know it, Aro! They're not fools. This was their plan all along."

"Alice should have seen it," Aro murmured, half to himself.

"They could have made a snap decision in the end. They might have been aware of Alice's power and knew how to avoid it. It was probably what they did," Marcus said before turning around and throwing a Romanian vampire away from him.

"I'll take a group and try to hold them off in the garden," Caius said. He called for a group of guards, Felix and Demetri included. The ones he had called made their way over to him, Jasper, Alice, and Emmett joining them. "Let's go!" he shouted.

I moved to follow him, but Caius stopped me. "Stay here with Aro, Marcus, and Sulpicia, Isabella," he ordered.

"Caius!" I growled, but he already turned and left me standing there.

"It is for your own safety, sister," Aro said, taking my hand. "Caius does not want you to get injured."

"But I've been training!" I hissed. "I can fight!" I pulled out of my brother's grip and set off after Caius. I was determined to follow him and show him that I wasn't a "pathetic little human" as he had once called me. I was a fucking vampire. I could handle myself! The only reason I went down was because those assholes double-teamed me! I was doing fine before then! Caius had no right to treat me like a five-year-old because I needed a tiny bit of help! Determined to prove myself, I ignored Aro's calls and ran after them at vampire speed.

The gardens weren't very far away, and I remembered how to get there from the time I had visited Alice there. I threw open the decorative iron door that led outside and saw the beautiful flowers trampled and over run by vampires. A cold wind slapped me in the face the moment I came outside. Gray clouds were gathered in the sky. It was very cold for Italy, and storm was beginning to form in the sky.

My eyes raked the mass of vampires and I was able to pick out Alice easily avoiding all attacks and destroying any Romanians she could get her hands on. Jasper stuck close to her, seemingly trying to leave Alice with no work to do, taking all vampires who approached her on himself. Felix and Demetri were still doing their tag-team routine on unfortunate Romanian guards. Other guards were visible, but I could not find my master.

Where was Caius?

Panic gripped my heart. I couldn't think logically. Fear set in and I darted into the mass of vampires. Immediately, a guard came at me, and I dodged his punch and grabbed his shoulder. I kneed him in the stomach and flipped him over, leaving him on the ground, continuing my search. Any guard that came toward me, I disarmed. I wildly searched for Caius.

Finally, I spotted my mate, my master, my king, lying headless on the ground.

Horror was the first thing I felt. I nearly dropped to my knees with a scream at the sight of him. "NO!" I shouted, darting to his side. I stared down at him with disbelief. I couldn't believe it. I could not believe it. How could this happen? How could it happen?!

My world was shattered. Everything I loved, everything I lived for was gone! What was the point of going on if my mate wasn't with me? What did I have to live for anymore? Everything I had worked for, the people I had crushed, everyone who I had stepped on to be with Caius… all of it was for nothing! I broke the Cullens' hearts so I could live with Caius and follow his lifestyle for no reason now. I nearly destroyed Jacob's life before he found Bree! I got so many people killed just to be with Caius, and now I couldn't even do that. It was all for nothing. All of it.

I heard footsteps approach and looked up to see the strong, blond vampire standing over me. His eyes focusing on me, and he smirked wickedly. "The masters have special plans for you," the blond man said.

I let out a snarl laced with rage and pain. I leapt to my feet and got right in his face. Caius was not dead. I would not accept it. He couldn't be. The hole that Edward had punched right through my heart when he left returned, a thousand times worse. Would Caius be able to be brought back to life? Was it possible to save him? "You will not destroy my coven, you son of a bitch!" I snarled. "I won't let you!"

He chuckled. "I'm stronger than you, you little bitch! You know it!"

I growled, refusing to be intimidated. "I will make you burn you fucking asshole! I will rip you apart piece by piece and put you through the as worst hell you could ever imagine!"

The mysterious vampire laughed. He didn't believe me. Who would? I looked like some scrawny little girl who should be standing on the sidelines under guard. He didn't know what I was capable of. I looked down at Caius. His head lay about a foot away from his limp body. If I were human, I would have cried. There was no light in his crimson eyes. He wasn't there anymore. "I will avenge you," I whispered so softly no one could hear me.

As I looked over at him, the mysterious vampire lunged and knocked me to the ground. I snarled as his hand struggled to grab my neck. I wouldn't let him. I kicked him as hard as I could in the gut and sent him flying. I leapt to my feet and was on him before he could even begin to stand. I grabbed his head and slammed in into the stone path that led to the koi pond. He let out a hiss and managed to stand and flipped me over onto the path.

Growling, I elbowed him in the ribcage and spun him around, twisting his arm behind him in awkward angle. He growled and reached behind him with his free hand and tried to get hold of my face.

"Antony!" a woman's voice shrieked. The next thing I knew, I went shooting into the koi pond. The moment I breached the surface, someone grabbed my face and tried to twist it sideways. I snarled and nailed whoever it was in the groin. A man gasped and let me go, stumbling backwards. I climbed out of the pond, completely drenched. The vampire, Antony was on his knees before me. I took his head in my hands and stuck my fingers in his mouth. He gasped, and looked up at me, clearly confused. I inserted the rest of my fingers in his mouth and took hold of his top jaw with my one hand, and his lower jaw with my other.

"Burn in hell," I growled darkly before ripping the top half of his head off. His painful scream brought me great satisfaction as he collapsed, half-beheaded at my feet.

"NO!" the woman shouted. I looked up to see a small, frail, blond woman. Her bright red eyes were blazing with anger and pain. "YOU BITCH!" she screeched. She lunged for me, and I ran for her, sliding run underneath her. I whipped around and grabbed her around the neck. The woman hissed and struggled to kick me. It did nothing.

I snapped her head off and let it roll along the stone path toward Antony's body. As I looked upon the destroyed bodies, I felt nothing. It didn't matter if they lived or died. It didn't matter that I had killed them. Nothing mattered anymore. Caius was dead.

Fighting was going on all around me. People were screaming and yelling, and somehow, they faded away. My grief overwhelmed me, and I collapsed to my knees. I buried my face in my hands and let out a loud sob. Caius was dead. Caius was dead. Caius was dead!

"Bella?" a familiar, reassuring voice rumbled from behind me.

I turned to see Emmett standing there. He looked down at me with pain in his eyes. I gazed into his topaz eyes, another sob ravaging my body. I was shaking. "He's gone! He's gone!" I shouted.

Emmett came over and gathered me in his arms. He gently stroked my hair in an effort to soothe me. "Shh… shh…" he murmured. "It's okay… I am so, so sorry, Bella. I am so sorry…"

A howl made us both jump. We turned to see a large, russet werewolf standing on the top of a hill with an entire pack gathered behind him. The werewolves had arrived. Jacob was looking down at us with sympathetic brown eyes. He must have heard. Bree emerged from the center of the pack and darted down to us. "Sorry we got here so late!" she said, seemingly unaware of my mate's death. "We didn't realize they had attacked until Alice texted me…" She trailed off, seeing the pained look on my face. "Bella? What's wrong?"

"Caius… Caius is dead," I sobbed.

A few mournful howls rose from the pack at my words before they pelted down the hill and into the gardens, snarling. Were they going to try to avenge Caius? Did they feel the same pain I felt for his loss? I doubted it.

Bree hugged me tightly. "Bella…" she whimpered. "I'm sorry I didn't know."

I heard the screams of the Romanians as the werewolves entered the fight. Soon, the garden would be ridden of the Romanians, and the throne room would be the only room left in need of disposal. Bree looked up at me, her eyes full of pain. "It is all my fault!" she sobbed. "When… when Caius killed Diego, I wished that he would die too! I wished he would be killed. Once… once I met you and you showed me kindness and Caius's attitude toward me changed, I took it back. I realized that he was really a good guy just trying to protect his love… but I wished this upon him!"

It was difficult to hear that Bree had wished Caius ill will, but I knew that she did not mean it. It was not her fault this happened. I wrapped my arms around her gently. "It's okay, Bree," I murmured. "You didn't… mean for this to happen. I don't think anyone minus the Romanians intended for this to happen."

"Master!" Felix had found Caius's body.

I looked over to see that the fighting had ceased. All the Romanians had either fled, or had been exterminated. The Volturi guard, Cullens, and the werewolves were standing by Caius's body, their faces stricken with grief and shock.

"Where is Mistress Isabella?!" Demetri asked, his voice almost frantic.

I darted over, leaving Bree and Emmett in my wake. I did not look at Caius's body. It… it was too painful. "I am… I am here." With that, I crumbled for a second time. I collapsed to the ground with a sob. Demetri tried to catch me, and was able to keep me on my feet.

More footsteps and voices sounded, and soon, the rest of the Volturi, the Cullens, and the Denalis were in the garden. Aro and Marcus walked through the crowd as they parted for them. When they reached me and saw me sobbing my heart out in Demetri's arms, they didn't need an explanation. Their eyes flew to the headless Caius, and their eyes glazed over with pain.

"How many casualties here?" Aro asked Felix, his voice barely above a whisper. If it had been any louder, I had no doubt it would have showed his pain.

"Ten, my lord," Felix answered in the same, soft voice. "Master Caius and Santiago being two of them."

"Corin, Afton, Renata, and about five others were killed on our end," Aro replied.

I should've have been surprised at the number of deaths—this was a war after all. Truthfully, I wasn't that surprised, my body was still numb at the death of Caius that those other losses seemed so much less important. I would miss Santiago, but the others I hardly knew. They didn't affect me in any way.

"Where are Vladimir and Stefan?" Carlisle inquired. It was strange to hear the Cullen leader's soft voice. For some reason, the softness and kindness in his tone somehow made me feel better. It calmed me, or was that Jasper's doing?

"They are being kept in the dungeons," Aro replied. "I have put the best guards down there, watching over them. They will not get away. We will dispose of them later. The fools showed up right in the middle of battle… only the battle wasn't going to well for their side and they were quickly captured."

"I don't understand though!" Marcus suddenly hissed. His eyes were blazing with fury, but his voice betrayed his pain. We were all shocked with Marcus's sudden outburst of emotion. He was always so blasé, but now, at the death of his brother, he was showing his feelings. "How did the Romanians know how to avoid Alice's gift? How did they know of her talents?"

"I know how, master!" Jane snarled. Alec came in, hauling a beautiful blond vampire in behind him. His face was just as disgusted and outraged as his sister's.

"Irina!" Tanya gasped. The Denali coven gazed with horror upon their sister. "You were working with those Romanian bastards?!"

Irina whipped hair out of her face. "The Volturi needed to be destroyed!" she snarled. "They killed our family! Not to mention they are working with _them!_" she spat, jerking her head at the werewolves.

Sam just bared his teeth at the female vampire and flexed his claws.

I yanked myself out of Demetri's arms and stalked through the crowd. I was full of hatred for this woman. It was because of her that my Caius was dead. It was because of her members of my family were dead! She deserved to die. I shoved past Aro and Marcus and stalked straight up to her. Alec had a tight hold on her, and I had no fear that she would attack me. "You lying, treacherous bitch!" I snarled, using the same phrase my master had once used.

Irina snarled up at me. "Your mate was the worst of them all!" she growled. "He was a monster and you knew it! You knew all along that he was a demon in the body of a man! He was an evil, horrible being! He deserves to burn in whatever hell he has gone to! You belong with him if you can truly and proudly stand by him and defend the awful crimes he has committed against our people!"

A roar ripped from my chest as I grabbed her face in my hands. "My Caius was a saint compared to you!" Before she could reply, I tore her head off with all my might, and tossed it away into the crowd of mutilated bodies.

The Denali sisters screamed, and I heard the Cullens gasp. I turned around to face them. I felt numb to the fact that I had just killed a woman. I looked upon them with blank eyes, void of emotion. "She was a traitor. In her efforts to destroy my coven, she also tried to destroy you. She did not care if you were to be killed in the process of ending the coven she hated above all else. Her mind was poisoned by hate."

No one spoke during my small speech. I didn't care. I went back to my space beside Caius's corpse and knelt down beside him. I picked up his head in my hands and cradled it to my chest, crying softly.

"Mistress," Jane's voice sounded from behind me.

I looked up to see her standing over me. I had not even heard her approach. "There might be a way to salvage Master Caius."

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A/N: Do you people hate me yet? XD

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know. If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	25. Chapter 25: Aftermath

_Salvation - Chapter 25_

OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE WE HAVE FIVE CHAPTERS LEFT?! OH MY CARLISLE!

Anyway, I honestly don't know how I feel about this chapter, but oh well. :/ I hope you like it anyway.

I don't own Twilight.

Deal with it.

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**25. Aftermath**

Caius's body and head was brought inside the castle and placed in the room we shared. I wasn't sure what they meant by being able to save him, but I was up for anything. "We might be able to put his head back on," Aro said, taking Caius's head from my arms, making me growl. He looked at me with a stern look. "Don't you growl at me, Isabella Volturi. I am trying to save his life."

Aro was right. I looked away, scowling.

"That time Caius was torn apart by the Children of the Moon we were able to piece him back together," Jane reminded. "Vampires can't truly be destroyed unless they are burned."

Hope flared within me. Was there really a chance?

Aro placed Caius's head back on his neck were it belonged. I move forward to watch, anxious. Aro looked at me. "Here," he said, stepping away, allowing me to hold Caius's head. "The first thing he'll want to see is your face, not mine."

"If it works," Demetri murmured.

I growled at the guard and took my mate's head in my hands. "Please work," I pleaded quietly, but every vampire in the room could hear it. "Please come back to me, Caius."  
In awe, I watched as his skin began to fuse together. His head was reattaching itself! It was a slow process at first as the individual fibers began to almost sew itself back together, but it soon became faster. I couldn't help but smile as the cracks mended and his flawless skin finally disappeared. The sounds of his porcelain skin gluing itself back together suddenly ceased; the healing process had stopped. His head had been returned to his body at last, but would Caius wake?

After a few moments, the light returned to his crimson eyes. They moved and found mind within seconds. "_Mia amore…_" he breathed, sounding relieved.

I smiled widely and threw my arms around him. I pulled him to me and held him close, sobbing. He hugged me back. The feeling of his arms around me just made me cry harder. I had almost lost this, lost him! I didn't even want to think about it. I never wanted to think about it ever again.

"You gave us all quite a fright, Caius," Aro said. I could hear the relaxation in his voice now that his brother was alive and well. "Isabella the worst of all."

Caius nodded. "I'm so sorry, darling," he whispered, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

I pulled away and looked into his eyes. I smiled weakly before slapping him as hard as I could in the face. My relief was replaced my anger. "You fucking idiot!" I growled before kissing his lips roughly. I pulled away and looked at him again, and saw a look of pure bewilderment on his face. "I hate you," I breathed, but I was helpless against him. I hugged him tightly. "You had me worried half to death you arrogant fool! I thought I'd lost you!"

Caius hugged me back. "I know, sweetheart. I know. I'm so sorry."

"What happened, Caius?" Marcus asked.

I shifted so I was lying beside my mate on the bed, resting my head on his chest and holding onto him so tightly, afraid he'd disappear if I let go. Caius rubbed my back gently and took a deep breath. "I was fighting the Romanians and then the one that Isabella and I had met on the beach back in La Push showed up. He and this female double-teamed me and he eventually got his arms around me. Aro, he's the strongest vampire I've ever met; even stronger than my Isabella."

"He's dead," I said casually.

Caius looked up at my surprised. "I didn't think anyone would be able to destroy him! Who was it?" he queried.

"Me," I answered nonchalantly. "I sent him to his knees before me and ripped off his head by breaking his jaw in half."

My mate's eyes darkened with lust. "I wish I could have seen it, my love. I would have given anything to have been there to see that ruffian's downfall." He then looked back to his brothers. "Have all the Romanians been exterminated?"

"Vladimir and Stefan are down in the dungeons," Aro told him with a wicked smile. "We were saving them for you and Lady Isabella."

Caius's seductive smirk returned. "That sounds like a plan," he said, sitting up.

"Perhaps you should rest a bit first, master," Felix suggested. "You just got your head torn off, and we don't want to risk everything. After all, this is the second time we've pieced you back together."

"Are you suggesting I'm fragile?" Caius inquired with an edge to his voice.

"No master, I…" Felix trailed off realizing he'd said the worst thing.

"Because I just want you to know, boy, that I could kick your ass in a matter of two seconds! I've done it before I can do it again!" Caius snapped, his crimson eyes blazing.

Felix dipped his head submissively. "I know, master. I was just saying that we don't want to take any risks."

Caius glared at him, but I rested my hand on my mate's cheek before he could snap at the guard again. "Caius, relax. Felix is just looking out for you."

"I'm fine," Caius insisted, sitting up in the bed. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side and pushed himself to his feet. I had never seen Caius like this before; he looked so fragile... I felt as if a single blow would shatter him into a million pieces. His skin was paler than usual and his crimson eyes were quickly dulling to the color of obsidian. He needed to feed, and soon.

"Before you take on any Romanians, you need to feed," I told him standing up beside him.

Caius looked at me, his mouth open, prepared to protest, but I gave him a stern look, leaving no room for argument. He sighed and shook his head. "Fine," he muttered walking stiffly toward the door.

I followed him closely, and the others followed us. Caius led the way into the throne room at human speed. His near-death experience had clearly taken a toll on my king. Caius would never admit it, but it was affecting him. When we reached the throne room, Heidi had already gathered a group of tourists that were snapping pictures of the throne room. The moment Caius laid eyes on the humans, he leapt into the crowd earning screams from the innocent tourists. Even though he wasn't feeling exactly well, he was still a thousand times more graceful that I would ever be.

The rest of the Volturi followed Caius's lead and fed on the humans. Caius killed seven and drained them all while I limited myself to one, giving him the best opportunity to get as much blood as he needed. Caius needed it more than me. Blood was the last thing on my list of priorities at the moment.

When the feeding frenzy was finally complete, Caius came over to me. Already he seemed stronger and looked healthier. My mate looked around swiftly before kissing my forehead. "Thank you for making me do this," he whispered at a volume no prying ears could pick up. "I needed this."

I smiled and kissed his cheek in return. "I know you better than you think I do," I whispered back.

Aro waltzed over before Caius could say more. The raven-haired leader's eyes were a fresh shade of red. "Are you prepared now, Caius?" he asked.

Caius nodded determinedly. "I'm ready to officially rid the world of the Romanian scum."

As he turned and walked away, I spied the Cullens standing by the doorway, watching the whole affair with sad eyes. I let out a disgruntled sigh and walked over to the door. The Cullens disappeared from the scene, but I still persisted to follow them. I found them waiting in the hallway just outside the throne room that led to the rooms. They were standing there as if they hadn't been watching me feed. I sighed and looked at my family with a grim expression.

"I'm sorry," I said finally, my gaze landing predominantly on Carlisle and Esme. I thought that they were the two I was hurting the worst by my feeding habits. "But I am a part of the Volturi now, and I must respect their traditions… I know it's not right, but this is the way my life is now."

Esme at me with sad eyes and shook her head. "Oh no, darling! We understand that! We just… we don't like to see the people be killed."

"I know," I sighed.

"It's okay, Bella," Carlisle assured with a small, kind smile. "We respect your ways just as you respect ours."  
I nodded weakly. "I know… I just… I don't know if I feel right taking the lives of these humans… I know that this is the way things are, but I still feel remorseful... But I can't stop it. In the heat of the moment I just can't control myself."

All the Cullens nodded. "We all know that feeling, Bella," Jasper assured.

"And we don't judge you for it," Alice added with a smile.

I smiled weakly at my family and nodded. "I'm glad."

"Isabella!" Caius's voice floated in from the throne room. "Are you coming?"

* * *

We walked to the dungeons in silence with Aro, Caius and Marcus leading the procession of vampires that followed. The Volturi guard, the Cullens, the Denalis, the werewolves, Bree, and myself were a part of the parade that followed the three masters. I walked closely behind my mate, keeping my eyes locked on him. Bree walked at my side and Alice was on the other. I cherished their friendship and their support as we walked down a spiral staircase to the very recesses of the Volterra castle.

"Ugh," I heard one of the werewolves complain from the rear. It sounded like Paul. "This place needs some air fresheners!"

"Shut up!" Sam snarled.

"It is musty down here," Tanya offered.

All of the covens except the Cullens had suffered losses. From the Denalis, Eleazar and Carmen had both been killed in the fighting leaving Kate and Tanya the two remaining members. Embry and Collin, two shape-shifters had also fallen as well as many Volturi members. Only the Cullens remained intact… minus Edward and Rosalie of course. Had all these innocent people died for me?

_ No,_I told myself determinedly. _ Rosalie and Edward got what they deserved… and the others died fighting for their freedom. If they hadn't fought, the Romanians would have overthrown the Volturi and those who were not killed would have been a part of their kingdom, and under their control. This is not your fault._

_Then why do I feel this way?_ the other side of me thought. The pain in my heart I felt for all those who had been lost was continuously jabbing at my heart. I still felt like it had been my fault.

When we had reached the bottom of the staircase, the corridor became tighter and the large, stone bricks that composed the walls seemed to slowly close in tighter around us. It came to a point where the three masters had to walk single file, as did the rest of us. Finally, at long last, we had reached the lowest, darkest, moldiest dungeon where the Romanian leaders were being kept. Felix and Demetri stood on guard, awaiting orders.

"Bring them out," Aro commanded, locking eyes with Felix.

The tall guard nodded and opened the iron gate that barricaded the Romanians from us. I could see the two men standing side-by-side in the shadows. When the door opened, they stepped out with their heads held high. I had seen one of them before—the blond one—but I could get a clear look at both of them now in the torchlight.

The blond man—Vladimir—was my height with ashy blond hair that hung in his eyes but was still shorter than Caius's. He was small for a man and had a slight build. Like the three masters, he had the same papery-looking skin but his burgundy eyes were clear, lacking the glazy film the masters possessed. Despite his small size, he gazed at my mate and his brothers with utter defiance in his eyes.

The other man, who must have been Stefan shared his companion's small, slight build. He looked to be an inch shorter than Vladimir, but shared his powdery skin and clear, crimson eyes. However, unlike Vladimir, there was fear in his eyes. He clearly knew what the Volturi were capable of and was dreading his fate that had now become inevitable.

"How dare you," Aro said simply, gazing at the pair with a look of what appeared to be remorse in his eyes. "How dare you do this to us after showed you mercy! We destroyed your coven, but we left the two of you alive, and this is how you repay us? You kill my guards and kill the family of those who selflessly agreed to fight for us? You are a disgrace to our kind."

Vladimir bared his teeth to Aro. "You are the Italian scum that came in cold blood and murdered my wives and my coven! You are the real monsters here. We were just trying to take back what was—what is—ours!"

Stefan shot a concerned look at Vladimir, but said nothing.

Aro opened his mouth to respond, but Caius rested his hand on his shoulder. "Allow me, brother," he said simply, his voice eerily calm. "It is clear that we cannot use reason when dealing with these ruffians. We must use what they understand: barbaric acts similar to those they have inflicted upon us!"

Vladimir smiled. "We are the cultivated ones! You are the ones that slaughter families and murder children! You are the ones that trick humans into your lair and murder innocent men, women and children!"

"As if you have not done the same, your miserable slugs!" Aro retorted, his crimson eyes lighting up with a fiery rage.

I couldn't take it anymore. Aro's fury was contagious and it had infected me. How dare those murderers say that of i_my_/i coven when they were responsible for many more disturbing, brutal massacres! "At least we do not torture our prey! We do not kill for pleasure; we only feed when we need to!" I stepped forward to stand beside Caius, my being trembling.

Caius watched me, worry present in his eyes. Was he worrying for my safety, or worrying of what I would do? "You killed my mate," I snarled. "Your guards left him headless, subject to be burned, and you have killed my friends and family! You are nothing but a worthless, pathetic, soulless monster!"

"Isabella is right!" Aro agreed giving me a nod of approval. "You have committed serious crimes against the Volturi and our laws including mobilizing forces to stand against us! You know the punishment for treason."

"We don't need an oration, Aro," Vladimir hissed. "We know what's coming so just get on with it!"

"He's right," Stefan finally spoke softly. "Enough niceties; end this."

"Very well," Aro said, pursing his lips together. "Caius, Isabella, I believe you two should handle this one."

I smirked and looked at Caius. He smiled back and together, we stalked toward the Romanians. Caius stepped up to Stefan and I to Vladimir. The ashy blond vampire glared up at me, baring his teeth. "I hope you burn, you bitch!" he snarled before I tore his head off with Felix's help while Demetri assisted Caius with the destruction of Stefan. In a matter of a few seconds, the Romanians were dead. Our biggest threat had been destroyed. We were finally safe.

No one else could oppose us. We could finally relax.

And Caius and I might finally get our happily ever after.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	26. Chapter 26: Engagement

_Salvation - Chapter 26_

I'm sorry if you might think the story is dragging on. There are just a few more things that need to be tied up before I can end this. :) Oh, and one more thing... I was just wondering... Maybe... possibly...

**Sequel anyone?**

Leave your vote in the review section. I MAY OR MAY NOT write a sequel. I just want to see what you all think of the idea of a sequel. I do have A LOT of other stories to work on, so it will all depend on how I feel.

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

**26. Engagement**

The Denalis departed that night, returning to Alaska. The werewolves stayed behind since Bree was here, and Jacob refused to leave. He and Sam were having difficulties deciding who exactly was alpha male anymore, but I tried to stay out of their affairs. I had bigger fish to fry, and by that I mean the wedding.

The wedding was finally able to commence. Alice, Esme, Sulpicia, and Heidi went into wedding planning mode. Flowers, dresses, decorations, and more were all ordered for the affair. Apparently, the marriage of a master was a very important business worthy of note.

"Oh, I remember when Aro and I were wed," Sulpicia exclaimed as she and Alice swirled around me, taking measurements for my dress. "It was a wonderful day! All vampires in existence attended, and then the honeymoon-we went to Aro's private island in the Mediterranean! Caius will most likely take you to his island."

"Caius has an island?" I asked, stretching out my arms so Alice could measure them.

"Why of course!" Sulpicia replied, straightening the spindly tape measure that was pressed against my leg. She sounded almost insulted that I had even entertained the notion that they didn't. "The masters own a lot of land! They own the entire city of Volterra as well as other lands in... more third-world places."

Well, you learn something new every day I suppose.

"He will probably take you to his. It's just outside Greece. Caius, Aro, and Marcus were born in Greece, you know?"

"I think he told me something like that," I whispered.

"How much do you know about your fiance?" Sulpicia queried.

"Enough."

"How much has he told you, and how much have you heard?" Sulpicia pressed. She must have been aware of the vicious rumors circulating around my mate's name.

"Caius told me his whole story."

"Did he?"

"Yes. There are no secrets between us." I was getting slightly irritated with Sulpicia's questions. "Sulpicia, why are you asking me all these questions?"

Sulpicia shot a glance at Alice before wrapping her tape measure around my neck. "Those women who wish to marry the masters must know what they are getting into. The lives of the mistresses are more complicated than anyone thinks. You are very important in my coven now, Isabella. You have an idea of what we must put up with, but you need to realize the dangers. Our husbands are the most hated men in the vampire world, and also the most revered. Ever since Didyme was savagely killed, all of the members of the central coven must be protected at all times. You need to know exactly what you are getting into before you take his hand and wear his ring."

I shot a look at the beautiful auburn-haired woman. Her crimson eyes were examining me closely, trying to see my reaction. I was aware of the dangers. I knew the risks. I had seen Caius get his head torn off for God's sake! Caius had told me his story-perhaps not all of it-and I knew that I could trust him. I loved him with all my heart, and I was more than prepared to experience these hardships.

"I do know these risks, Sulpicia. I am aware of the danger, and I am ready to be his wife," I told her with absolute certainty.

She nodded in approval and moved behind me to measure the more of me. Alice was now standing in front of me. She gave me a small smile of encouragement. I must've answered Sulpicia's questions correctly.

* * *

Caius and I had a lot more time together now. I wasn't very girly, nor was I creative so I let the girls handle the wedding planning. All I was worried about was whether or not we would survive to the wedding day. However, even though now I wasn't concerned about any warring covens, I _was_ worried that Alice, Esme, Heidi, and Sulpicia would kill us all with their wedding rampages. Esme wasn't as crazed, but the other three were like rabid wolves.

We sat in the garden by the koi pond, holding hands. I gazed down into the greenish water where the colorful koi swam around easily in the water, darting about in the shadows. "I can't believe that I was dead," Caius suddenly whispered. His thumb stroked the back of my hand gently as he gazed at the ground distantly.

I looked toward him questioningly. "You've died before," I replied even though the thought of Caius lying headless made my entire chest ache.

He nodded. "Yes, but back then I didn't have that much to live for. I wasn't leaving too much behind… now, when I die, I'm leaving you. I… I just can't bear to think about that… To think of you alone is…" he trailed off, still avoiding my gaze.

I leaned toward him and took his farthest cheek in my palm. I swung his head to he had no choice but to look at me, and I could see the pain present in his flawless eyes. He truly was torn up at the thought of leaving me here alone. "You won't have to worry about me being alone," I murmured. I planted a chaste kiss on his forehead before looking at him again. "Nothing like that will happen again."

"I can't promise that," Caius sighed, looking up at me. His eyes were so soft now, so tortured. They looked completely different than they had the first time I had seen him. Back then, he had been lost, tortured, and just looking for something to give him a reason—give him hope. He was looking for something or someone to save him from himself, and he found me. "I can only do so much to ensure my safety."

"The Romanians are dead," I pointed out. I gave his hand a tiny, reassuring squeeze. "Who else is out there who would even dream of standing against us?"

Caius shrugged and shifted closer so our shoulders touched. "There's always Amun and his coven."

"Amun?" I inquired, shooting him a quizzical look.

"Amun is the leader of the Egyptian coven. A long time ago when our war with the Romanians began, his coven was quite powerful. In fact, if it weren't for the Romanian's hunger for power, we probably would have been fighting the Egyptians instead due to their large size. After we had taken care of the Romanians, Aro sent me to Egypt to take care of them. It was there we found Demetri actually. He was smart enough to join us and we took out most of their coven. Of course, Aro had his ways and we had to leave some of them alive, you know, to send the message that the Volturi were in charge and they weren't afraid to take action. He probably never forgave what we did that day when we destroyed his coven, but he wasn't exactly a good guy. In fact, he was more of a slave driver, and slave trader for vampires. His specialty was sex slaves and he had a lot of them. It was our job to dispose of them, and we were able to put a stop to his organization," Caius explained.

"Well that's good," I whispered in response. Sulpicia's words came back to haunt me. She was right: I had to be prepared for whatever the future may hold, even if it did mean losing the man I loved more than anything. The masters were some of the most hated individuals in the vampire world, and there were a lot of vampires out there who could try to seek vengeance one day. "That you stopped him."

He smiled weakly. "I suppose… but my point is we have many enemies, Isabella. They will come for us one day. We will stand against them as always, and I know that not a single member of this coven will ever give in. They will fight to the death to protect their coven, and their family. Even if Aro, Marcus and I were killed, the coven would continue to carry out its duty. Every society needs order, and we are the order of this world."

"I know, Caius. I know… And I don't care. I will love you no matter what. I always have, and I always will," I said, trying to give him a reassuring smile.

He smiled back and kissed my lips softly. I returned the kiss, running my fingers through his hair. The next thing I knew, we were on the ground in front of the koi pond. Caius was on top of me and undoing the buttons on my shirt. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him closer. This is what forever would be like; the two of us completely in love. Unfortunately, with all the shit we went through, forever just seemed too good to be true.

* * *

Our tryst in the garden ended too quickly as Felix called for Caius to come to the throne room. I felt the strong urge to rip the guard's head off, but I knew it wasn't his fault. I still made sure he felt my anger, though. Caius had to leave again, leaving me alone in the garden. I didn't exactly feel like going into the castle and facing the girls and their newfound obsession.

After Caius departed for the throne room, I sat in the garden, trying to fix my dress. I didn't want anyone to come out and get the impression that I was doing exactly what I looked like I had been doing... even though I had. I gazed at my reflection in the greenish water of the koi pond and combed my fingers through my auburn hair. Even now I still wasn't used to seeing my reflection. I didn't look like the Bella I once was... and I wasn't. I wasn't the same Bella Swan I once was.

It was difficult to wrap my brain around the person I had once been. I used to be a weak, gullible teenage girl. I wasn't a hopeless romantic back then, but I was naive enough to believe that Edward Cullen had loved me. His empty promises of love and affection had been enough to trick me... And when he did leave and lose interest in me, I blamed myself. I instantly believed that I wasn't good enough for him. I viewed myself as a stupid, ugly human kept in the dark.

Caius brought me into the light. He showed me who I really was and showed me how wonderful life could be. He brought me to life. He saved me. And in a way, I guess I saved him too. I reminded him who he was, and helped him become the man he had once been.

"Mistress?" I heard Jane's voice from the other edge of the garden. The young girl didn't need to shout—I could hear her from my perch on the side of the pond. "Mistress Sulpicia requests your presence in her quarters immediately."

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here, click on my username to see more! :)


	27. Update!

**Update**

Hi, guys. This is an update for all my fanfictions. Bascially I have been very busy lately. School is coming to an end and on May 31, I will be out, but until then, I've been swamped with homework and all sorts of other good things. My plea is for you all not to worry. I'm alive, I'm writing when I can, and I will finish my three main fanfictions: Salvation, Someone Like You, and The One That Got Away eventually. I will not stop writing them—I have invested too much into them to abandon them—so please don't think I've stopped.

If I ever do decide to stop—which I won't—I will most likely post an Author's Note explaining that I am stopping and why, but that will never happen as long as I have the power to keep writing.

Thank you for waiting patiently. I am extremely apologetic for the lack of updates. Please bear with me.

Thank you.

Lots of love,

Warrior


	28. Chapter 27: Compromises

_Salvation - Chapter 27_

This chapter is a bit of a filler, but I think that all of the chapters will be a bit of fillers since we are coming to the end. We have about three more chapters left, and I am not sure if I am writing an epilogue yet. Sequel is also unconfirmed. If I do write a sequel, it will deal with Bella having another power, Jacob and Bree getting married, the Egyptian coven rising to power and possibly the fall of the Volturi as we know it, but I'm really not sure yet. Like I said in my update, I've been swamped lately, but I really wanted to get this chapter out there for you guys.

Oh, and I love using actual Caius quotes. You can't get more legit than that right? XD

I don't own Twilight. Sorry.

* * *

**27. Compromises**

I entered Sulpicia's quarters with caution. I had no idea what to expect. I hoped that it wasn't something important, but why else would see call me here all of a sudden? I saw the beautiful queen standing before her vanity, putting on golden hoop earrings. She was dressed like a Greek goddess with a long white gown with golden trim and sandals. I didn't know why she was wearing it; I didn't _want_ to know why she was wearing it. I knew that the Masters had to have been close to getting finished with their business in the throne room which meant Aro would be returning his wife in a matter of minutes. Again, I didn't want to know.

"Ah!" she said when I entered. "I hate to interrupt you, Isabella, but I need you to do me a favor," she said turning around from her vanity to face me. She darted to the large canopy bed that took up most of the room before appearing in front of me. She thrust a lined yellow notepad into my hands; the item seemed so out-of-place in a castle that was built before Jesus was born. "I need you and Caius to sit down and make a list of all the people you want to be in your wedding. You know Maid of Honor, Bride's maids, Best Man—all that good stuff."

I shot her a confused look. "You called me here… for this?"

Sulpicia nodded eagerly. "Yes! We simply cannot go any further in the planning until these details are sorted out! We need to take the sizes of the ladies for their dresses and the gentlemen for their suits. Speaking of which, you tell that soon-to-be-husband of yours to stop ignoring my notes and come down here one of these days so I can get his sizes! We need to have his suit ordered to keep on schedule."

"Well, I'm sure that Caius already has a suit," I offered, but my defense for my mate was weak. "I mean… he has been married before."

Sulpicia shot me an incredulous look. "Isabella, do you _really_ want to marry the man of your dreams knowing that when you kiss him he is wearing the same suit he wore for his last wife? And when he takes you into his chambers that night to consummate the marriage, do you want to undress him knowing that another woman has taken that outfit off of him before?"

I squirmed uncomfortably. She did have a point. "I'll make sure he gets here one of these days."

"Good!" she said, turning away. "Make sure you do, or else I'm going to go searching for him, and when that time comes, it's not going to be pretty!"

As she walked back over to her vanity I realized how good of a match she and Aro were. They were both so spontaneous and good-natured most of the time, but you knew not to fuck with either of them. I could imagine the both of them sitting in his room just smiling and talking to one another for eternity. They seemed like the kind of couple that would do that.

"Are you through with me?" I asked as she checked her appearance in the mirror for what had to be the thirtieth time.

I heard footsteps coming down the hall and assumed it was Aro. Who else would be moving at such a brisk pace toward Sulpicia's quarters? Whoever it was, I really didn't want to be here when they came in.

"Oh yes," Sulpicia dismissed, waving her hand at me lazily. "Remember to get Caius's arse down here one of these days."

"I will," I told her before turning to the door. The moment I turned around, it opened.

Aro stood there smiling, but when he saw me, I think he was more confused than anything. "Why… hello Lady Isabella," he greeted me. "What are you doing here?"

"I called her down, Ro," his wife said, sauntering over to him. "I just needed her to help me with a few of the details for the wedding."

"Oh," Aro said, relaxing slightly.

"I was just going to leave," I told Aro before swerving around him to get out of his bedroom. The moment I closed the door behind me, I heard them talking, and then kissing, and then I heard noises I won't describe. I soon realized that since Aro had returned to his quarters, Caius had probably gone to ours.

I darted to our room and opened the door quickly. Caius stood there taking off his outer robes leaving him in his traditional black suit. When he saw me, his crimson eyes brightened considerably. "There you are, my darling," he practically purred, hanging up his robes. He swiftly darted over me and pressed his lips to my forehead. "During the meeting, I began to think about something; since we were so rudely interrupted earlier, how about we go to the tower, hmm?" he suggested, kissing down to my throat.

I suppressed a moan and nodded weakly. "I would like that," I breathed. Even though I was a vampire, Caius still managed to take my breath away.

That devilish smirk appeared on his face making shudder inwardly. Every part of my body yearned for his touch and his caress. I wanted to feel his hands on my bare skin. I wanted to feel his lips explore my body. I wanted him. I _needed_ him, and the tower was the best place for me to experience him in his element. It was there that I could see my master as wonderful, majestic, and powerful as he was.

Without warning, I grabbed his arm and yanked him out of the room. Before he could even speak, I had the both of us pelting down the hallway toward the tower. I could hear Caius laughing like a giddy schoolboy at my reaction as I dragged him up the spiral staircase to the wooden door that was the only barricade between me and ecstasy.

With great impatience, I waited, practically whining as Caius withdrew the key to the ancient lock. I let out a low growl. He was taking too long, and he knew it. He was doing this on purpose. He was _teasing_ me!

Finally, I heard the click as the door opened, and Caius pushed the door open slowly. I darted inside and swiftly began to undress myself. I heard Caius close the door and the rustle of fabric told me that he, too, was desperate to free himself from the confines of his clothing. It took me maybe three seconds to strip, and I turned to face to find him pulling his boxers down to his ankles. The sight of my master naked, in the tower, was thrilling.

I felt alive.

"On your knees, Isabella," my mate ordered. The authority in his voice made me shudder in pleasure. I did as he asked as quickly as possible. My eyes were glued to Caius as he walked across the room to one of the dressers there. I didn't dare turn my head to see what he was getting out for me. My heightened senses allowed me to experience Caius like this in his full glory. I heard him come around behind me. A soft piece of silk was wrapped around my head, shielding my eyes. It was tied around my head, and then I felt Caius's hands run down the back of my neck, to my shoulders, and then down my back. He grasped both of my wrists and pulled them behind me. With a rough piece of rope, he tied them together and did the same with my ankles.

When his handiwork was complete, I heard him step back to admire it. I could smell his arousal as well as my own. My patience was wearing thin, but I knew not to speak in this room. In here, I was his servant, and… surprisingly, I was okay with it.

"We haven't done this in a while, my pet," Caius said. I knew he was smirking just by the way he spoke. "I suspect that you remember the rules after your last punishment?"

I nodded my head once.

His hand that was once icy and now the same temperature as mine, stroked my face. It was warm, but certainly not sweaty. It was nice; comfortable. His hand proceeded to pull my face forward until I felt the tip of his engorged cock brush against my lips. I willingly opened my mouth for him, and felt him slip inside. Caius groaned softly, as my closed my lips around his erection and slowly began to move up and down his length. I moved faster and faster, sucking him as much as I could. I could feel that he was close to his release and swirled my tongue around the tip. I wished that my hands were free so I could stroke him, but if Caius wanted it this way then it wasn't my place to disagree. That seemed to be enough—he came in my mouth, and I readily lapped up his fluids.

Caius's hands took my face and his thumbs caressed my cheeks. In the next moment, my blind fold and bindings were removed. I was free… but then again not quite. I was still at his command. "Bend over," he nearly purred.

I obeyed, spreading my legs so he could get a good view of my ass. Caius's hands ran along both cheeks for a moment before disappearing. I heard him walk away from me again, and when he returned, he ran something hard, and soft at the same time along my backside. I knew what it was by the distinctive smell: leather, most likely a belt, With the edge, he played with my entrance, running the rough edges along my wet womanhood, teasing me. I bit my lip to keep from crying out as he moved it back and forth creating wonderful friction. Yet, I wanted him inside me, not a belt. I wanted to come around his cock, not a piece of leather.

Caius's erection pressed against my ass; it was already hard again. It was prodding and poking around, but not entering. Without warning, the belt was yanked away from my entrance roughly. It came back and hit my ass surprisingly hard. I struggled to not let out a yelp at the sudden transition from pleasure to pain. "That is for teasing me when you shouldn't have been," Caius said before hitting me a second time. "I told you I would punish you, and fuck you once we got back here."

Well, Caius was back. I knew that the soft, loving, gentle Caius was still in their somewhere, but the sadistic, dark, sexy master was clearly back.

"I think… Hmm… Fifteen hits are in order. That's for all the teasing at your father's house, all the Bree business, and just being so goddamn gorgeous and tempting all the time," Caius said.

I couldn't help but smile. He could be a sadistic asshole, but it just seemed to make me love him more. The belt came down hard. "This will count as one."

_Fuck…_

Another crack came. And another. And another until fifteen were finally administered. If I were human, I would have been ready to collapse, but I was a vampire now. I was supercharged and ready for more. I didn't need to rest and neither did he. Oh, the possibilities!

"Stand," Caius spoke. His voice was harsh, but I could hear the affection seeping through.

I rose in a flash and stood rigid as Caius came up behind me. He buried his nose in my hair and wrapped his arms around my bare waist. I was still dripping wet for him, and his cock was still poking me in my lower back, but he procrastinated fucking me. In inhaled my scent and let out a soft moan. "Speak, my love. Please," he whispered. My soft, loving Caius was back.

"Please… fuck me, master," I breathed.

Caius lifted me off my feet and darted to the bed. He threw me down and was on top of me in moments. His lips crushed to mine, and I kissed him back just as a savagely. I ran my fingers through his gorgeous blond hair, struggling to pull him closer. I felt his manhood touch my entrance and let out a groan. Tugging on Caius's hair, I let out a growl. "Hurry… the fuck… up!" I growled, digging my nails into his shoulder blade.

Finally, he entered me. We both seemed to let out a sigh of relief between our kisses. There was almost no space between us as he began to thrust in and out. Caius and I were like to rabid animals in heat both growling, snarling, groaning, moaning, hissing, cursing, and making just about every noise imaginable. We clearly were not human.

Release came for both of us almost simultaneously. Caius came first and I followed momentarily. Once we had climaxed, Caius removed himself from me and collapsed on the bed. I rolled over and snuggled into his chest. "I love you," I whispered.

He smiled. "I love you too, my darling," he breathed, kissing my head. "I didn't hurt you with the belt, did I?" he asked solicitously.

I looked up and saw the genuine concern in his crimson gaze. I shook my head with a smile. "I'm okay, love. I'm a vampire now, remember?"

Caius smiled again, relieved.

"Sulpicia wants you to come down to her room tomorrow," I tried to tell him casually. I knew he wasn't fond of the idea, but I had to pass along the message. I didn't want Sulpicia to behead me, or worse.

My mate groaned. "What does she want, now?" he grumbled, clearly not pleased.

"She wants to measure you so she can order your suit," I told him before kissing his chest softly.

Caius grimaced. "Really? What's wrong with the suit I have?"

I looked down, feeling a little guilty. "Well… Sulpicia brought up a good point. You married Athena in that suit."

He seemed confused for a moment and shot me a curious look. I looked away, and I could almost hear the click in his head as he understood. "Oh… right… I'll go see Sulpicia tomorrow for the measurements."

Sighing in relief, I shifted so I was on top of him. "I've been thinking about the wedding… Sulpicia said that she needs to get the measurements of all the bridesmaids and the best man and all that good stuff… And I realized that we never came to an agreement on it…"

Caius nodded. "Well… I was thinking Aro would be my best man, and Marcus could be an usher or something like that…"

I nodded. "Those are good choices… I've been meaning to tell you… I want the Cullens to be in the wedding," I told him shyly. I searched his face for any traces of anger, but found none. Yet, the room was full of an uncomfortable stillness.

He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a sad breath. "You know how I feel about them, Isabella…"

I nodded weakly. "I know that you… dislike them," I allowed. "But, they are my family. Carlisle and Esme are like second parents to me, and Alice is the sister I've never had! As much as you hate to admit it, you know that this is truly the way I feel."

My mate pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and his forefinger. "What exactly are you proposing?"

I took a deep breath. I was already halfway into the hole, I might as well throw myself in. "I want Carlisle to walk me down the aisle. Alice with be my Maid of Honor and Jane and Bree will be my bridesmaids. This is, of course, if they're willing."

He considered it for a moment, studying the cracks in the ceiling. Without warning, a sly look crept across my face; I half-dreaded and have-loved it. He wanted compensation for this. "And what do I get in return?" he inquired, smirking beautifully. "I think that since I am going to give you this, you should sacrifice something for me."

"A compromise?" I asked. It seemed fair enough I suppose, I was just hoping that his request wasn't too outlandish. "I guess that's okay."

His smirk widened into a smile. "Do you remember that dress you wore when you killed Rosalie?"

Okay, I was definitely _not_ expecting that question. "Yes…"

"I want you to wear it at least once a week," Caius decided.

I was horrified at the thought of putting that prison on my body again. Caius must have seen my look of disgust; he chuckled. "How long do I have to do that?" I demanded.

He smiled evilly. "Oh… maybe for the next century."

"The next century?!" I shrieked. Was he insane?

He laughed at my reaction. "Love, I've been around for three thousand years, and you and I have forever. Trust me, once you've been around for a millennium, you realize how short a century really is."

I sighed exasperatedly before burying my face in his chest. "Do I have to?" I asked, trying to sound as small and as innocent as possible.

Caius chuckled and rubbed my back soothingly. "I'm sorry sweetie, but I would really like it if you did. I won't complain about any other decisions you make in regards to the wedding."

"Well… just so you know, Sulpicia is making most of them, so you can take it up with her," I told him, looking at his flawless face.

He smiled and pressed his lips to my forehead gently. "I will, darling. So… do we have a deal?"

Half-groaning, I sat up so I was sitting on his chest, looking down at him. "On one other condition," I said with a smirk.

He smiled darkly. "Oh? And what might it be?"

"Vampires don't sleep, and it's not even midnight yet."

Caius didn't need to hear more. He flipped me over so I was underneath him and resumed his dominant figure so we could repeat the process all over again.

* * *

A/N: Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	29. Chapter 28: Friends

**Salvation - Chapter 28**

Ehh... I have to apologize. I know that people won't like this chapter. Luckily, **the next chapter will be better. The other covens will arrive and it will have more excitement. Give me a break, people.** Anywho, Chapter 30 will most likely be the shortest chapter in the whole story, and I'm debating about making it from 3rd person point of view. I don't know.

The sequel to this story has been semi-confirmed. The title will be:

_Emancipation_

Like it? Hate it? To each his own. The title might make more sense in the story. I know some might not want a sequel, but I have big plans for it. :) And no, it won't be as boring as some people will find this chapter.

I don't own Twilight. Sorry.

* * *

**28. Friends**

Caius did as Sulpicia requested and went down to her room to get measured, but he only did so on one condition: I had to go with him. He said that he simply would not stand to listen to her squawking all by himself. If he had to be in pain, he figured that he might as well drag me down with him. As you can imagine, I wasn't too pleased to have been roped into this, but it wasn't as if I had a choice. Apparently, I still owed Caius, even though I failed to see why. Whether it was because he felt he had not given me enough punishment in the tower, or because he felt that his outrageous demand of having me dress in that red and pearl penitentiary wasn't painful enough, I didn't know.

Aro, wanting to see his brother suffer at the hands of his wife, decided to join the sizing party. He claimed that Sulpicia had already gotten his measurements, and I really did not want to know how that process went. As kinky as Caius and I were, something told me that those two were our equals, or (if possible) worse. However, to our great pleasure, they restrained from any affections in our presence. At least they weren't too cruel.

Caius threw a fit the whole time we were there, constantly protesting whenever Sulpicia touched or got too close to something he wasn't comfortable with her being near (I had to agree with him here; Sulpicia was ten feet too close to my property). It also didn't help that Sulpicia had dressed as if she belonged in a brothel. I hoped that she dressed this way because Aro was in the room; every time she bent forward, her breasts would practically fall out of her dress and you could look right up her skirt to see her thong doing a poor job of covering her womanhood.

"Dammit, Sulpicia!" Caius snarled, jerking his arm away from her grasp. "Would you stop it?!"

She shrugged. "I'm afraid it's a part of the process, Caius," she replied before measuring his waist for the third time. I let out a low grown as the tape measure slipped down around my mate's buttocks. The front, where Sulpicia held it, was right by _my_ property! Caius could protest all he wanted that the rest of his body was his, but that particular part was mine and mine only. No one else should ever be as close to it as Sulpicia was.

"For God's sake, let me measure him!" I finally snapped, jumping to my feet. I darted over and yanked the tape measure from Sulpicia's hands. "Tell me what to do and you can write down the numbers."

"What's the matter? Feeling a little possessive, Isabella?" Aro teased from his position sprawled out on the bed. The buttons on his shirt were undone, but I paid little attention to him.

I let out a low growl and stepped close to Caius who was grinning like a Cheshire cat. He seemed more than pleased at my outburst and snaked one arm around my waist.

Sulpicia stared at me with wide, stunned eyes for a moment before jerking back into reality. "If you wish," she murmured. Together, we circled Caius. She carried her notepad and scribbled the appropriate sizes down as I did the hands-on work. We were done in minutes.

Caius stepped down from the stool he had perched on and kissed my head chastely. "Thank you," he breathed in my ear.

I shot him a loving smile and watched as Aro rose from his position on the bed. "Well… that was uneventful," he sighed before walking over to his wife. Without warning, he crushed his lips to hers and locked his arms around her waist.

Cringing, I shoved Caius toward the door. He didn't object.

* * *

I didn't want to spend one moment away from Caius, but he claimed that he had a lot of paperwork to complete and, in order to finish it faster, he requested that I didn't join him. "You'd be a lovely distraction, my dear," he had told me. "However, I've been procrastinating for too long, and if I go one more day without completing it, Gianna will come looking for me, and, believe me, that woman can put Scylla to shame when she's angry."

So, I let Caius go off to his office and leave me alone with nothing to do. After a few moments of standing outside Aro and Sulpicia's room watching Caius walk down the hallway to his quarters, I finally decided to head off in the other direction. After about a half hour of walking, I came along a spiral staircase that led down into what I imagined was the cellar, or something like it. This staircase was not like the others in the castle, it was old, and rickety, and it led down into an abyssal darkness that rank of mold and decay. For a moment, fear gripped my chest, but I quickly sent it packing; I was a vampire. I had nothing to fear from this place!

Descending the staircase was a nerve-wracking process because every little creak made me nearly jump out of my skin thinking the entire thing would go crashing down. Despite all this, I continued downward and eventually reached the bottom. I could smell more than I could see—my eyes were still getting accustomed to the darkness—and I could only guess that by the rotting, disgusting odor that this place was most likely a burial site for humans, or a place where the Volturi dumped the drained corpses. Either way, it didn't smell appetizing to say the least.

I journeyed onward, and soon came to a Y-shaped crossroads. After a short mental debate, I turned to the left and walked along slowly, alert for danger. From here, I wove through a seemingly never-ending labyrinth, searching for a way out. Panic's seed began to grow inside me and I began darting through the tunnels, desperate to get out. Normally, I would have retraced by scent, but the stench of decomposing flesh overpowered it; I was lost.

The farther along I went, the creeper the atmosphere around me became. The solid stone walls weren't so solid anymore, nor were they made of stone. The walls were now made of skulls—human and animal alike. They were pressed tightly together to make the walls and were glued together with what I thought was some kind of cement. The other bones lined the sides of the walkway and sometimes spilled over into my path. How long did these catacombs go on?! Would I ever get out?

It was a long time before I stumbled upon another life form—if you'd consider me living—a rat. Grimacing in disgust, I kicked the ugly creature against the wall and continued on my way. However, the rodent wasn't alone; many more appeared the further in I went, and sometimes I found them nesting in the discarded ribcages of some unfortunate people, or scrambling out of my way over dead, putrefying bodies.

Darkness was all around me; if I had been human, I would have been unable to see in this impenetrable gloom. Eventually, I finally saw light coming from up ahead, but this was no torch light, or at least a single one alone. This light was strong and almost blinding, but I as my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness, I saw an open space of some sort, like a cavern. I staggered into in, gasping for air that I didn't need. All around me were more bones, more skeletons, and more half-decomposed bodies. In the center of this open space was a large altar built out of skulls. To my surprise, the most unlikely man imaginable stood before it, looking at the altar.

It was Carlisle.

At my entry, the blond patriarch turned to look at me. He shot me a friendly smile when he saw it was me. "Hello, Isabella!" he greeted me cheerfully. "What brings you down here?"

"I could ask you the same thing!" I shot back defensively. The outlandish idea that Carlisle was a head of some cult came crashing into my mind only to be booted out by my more rational side. _Are you crazy? Carlisle is practically a saint. You're letting your fear get to you. This is_ Carlisle Cullen _we're talking about!_

Carlisle smiled again gently and turned back to the altar. "Oh, I was just poking around, really. I wanted to see if this old place was still here," he told me. He sounded as if he were referring to the house he grew up in, or a favorite spot he and his friends used to go to back in the good ol' days, not catacombs! I repressed a shudder.

"Why?"

He turned toward me again and stepped away from the altar. "Aro had told me a story about how back in about… oh… 57 A.D., they had such a pile-up of bodies that they couldn't bury them outside fast enough, so they began constructing this system of catacombs underneath the castle where they could dispose of the dead. After the catacombs filled up with bodies and they didn't want to move too far under the city for risk of exposure, they started dumping bodies into the sewer system. It was after they used that method for a couple decades they found out how flammable the venom-filled bodies were and used that method of destruction and dumped the ashes in the sewers. Every now and then, though, a fresh body finds its way down here whether it be by one of the guards who snuck out and found a midnight snack, or if one of them were fooling around with a human girl and didn't want the masters to find out about it. But it's rarely used anymore… I never got the chance to explore it when I stayed here, but I figured since I came back it was as good a time as any to take a look."

Carlisle spoke all this without a single cringe at the fact that thousands upon thousands of people were buried down here. His indifference to this unnerved me, but I knew better than to be afraid. Carlisle was a very intelligent, and curious man, but he was far from insane. He was hardly a psycho or a mass-murderer! "Oh," was all I could say.

"You never answered my question, though," he stated, averting his gaze from me and to the cavern around us.

"What question?"

"Why you're here," he reminded.

"Oh… well… I was exploring and… I got lost," I confessed, looking down sheepishly. "I was trying to find my way out."

Carlisle smiled kindly. "Oh, well I'll show you out," he offered.

"Thanks."

We were both silent for a moment as Carlisle continued to admire the catacombs. I looked at the floor and saw a couple rats darting about in the shadows, before I remembered the conversation Caius and I had had in the tower. Well, now was as good a time as any to spring the question on him. "Hey… um… Carlisle?" I asked. His name sounded so weird coming from my lips.

His golden eyes darted to me immediately. "Yes, Bella?"

It was even stranger hearing someone call me Bella.

"Well… Caius and I have been talking about the wedding, and… well… since Charlie can't be here, I wondering if you would walk me down the aisle. You have always been like a second father to me, and I've always kind of… looked up to you and admired you, and I was wondering if you would be interested in doing it," I told him clumsily. I was disgusted at how fragile—at how _human_—I sounded.

Carlisle smiled widely. "Why, of course, Bella. I would be honored. Now, I'm sure that you don't want to spend any more time here," he commented, glancing around one last time. He flashed over to me and offered me his arm with a friendly smile. "Wanna practice?" he joked.

I managed to give him a giggle and took his arm as he led me out of the catacombs with a jovial smile on his face.

* * *

Caius was waiting for us at the old staircase, or at least that was what it seemed like. He had followed my scent there and had just been about to go down into the catacombs to find me himself when Carlisle and I came into view. "What the hell were you thinking?!" he demanded when we finally reached him. "Are you mad?"

I shot him a glare. "Would you calm down, Caius?" I growled. "I'm not a child! I can take care of myself, you know."

"I was with her," Carlisle added.

"So you took her down there?!" Caius shouted. "_You took my mate down into the catacombs?!_"

"I went down there on my own, and calm down, Caius!" I snapped, shoving him away from Carlisle. He was getting too close to my adoptive father for both of their safeties. "And what is the big deal?! I'm alive, aren't I? What's your problem?"

Caius glowered at me for a moment before looking away, clearly trying to avoid my gaze. "I… I just didn't want you to see that is all… It's a pretty gruesome sight. I keep forgetting that you aren't like the women I've been around with for the majority of my life. Any woman from my day who stumbled upon that would have fainted from fright and screamed bloody murder at every skull, body, and rat they saw. They aren't used to such situations is all."

I rolled my eyes in annoyance. "That doesn't mean you can freak on me, though," I pointed out.

He sighed and nodded reluctantly. It was just _so_ difficult for him to admit he was wrong, wasn't it? "You're right," he muttered grudgingly.

I nodded stiffly. "Good. Now, I hope that you'll be interested to know that Carlisle said yes."

"Oh? Are you marrying him instead of me, now?" Caius prompted sarcastically; there was humor in his voice.

I rolled my eyes again. "No, Caius," I half-groaned. "He agreed to walk me down the aisle."

Caius raised his eyes to the other blond vampire and narrowed his eyes for a moment before giving him a curt nod.

Carlisle returned the nod brusquely.

"Look, Cullen," Caius started. I grabbed his shoulder the best I could, but I couldn't stop him, he was already off. "I don't like you, but I'm letting you and your family take part in my wedding because you mean something to Isabella. Despite all the shit you put her through, she still finds room in her unnaturally big heart to love you imbeciles, so don't screw this up! Got it?"

"Caius!" I hissed, but Carlisle held up his hand to stop me.

"It's alright Bella," he reassured. "Caius's anger is justified. My family has done a lot of horrible things to you, and I will beg your forgiveness for the rest of my existence. I am honored that you are able to absolve us for all that we have done, and am awestruck that you still want us in your life. We will never bring you harm again, Bella. I promise as the leader of my coven, that we won't… If… if I had known what Edward had been planning from the start, or what he and Rosalie had been up to, I…" he trailed off, overcome with emotion.

I reached out and touched his arm with my hand. "It's okay, Carlisle. Really, it is."

He smiled weakly and pulled me into a gentle hug, which I returned. "Thank you, Isabella. You will always be a part of my family. Always."

* * *

Alice and Jane were the easiest to ask. Jane, of course, said yes and she was probably the only one that Caius had no objection to, and Alice has seen it coming. She had said yes the moment she saw me, and I knew that she was absolutely ecstatic. She had been busy with the other wedding plans and was cooperating with Sulpicia about the dress designs and the flowers and all the ribbons and whatnot that would be needed for the ceremony. She had known from the beginning that she would be in the wedding and had already had her own dress made.

Bree, however, was a different matter. None of the vampires were willing to share the castle with the werewolves, so they had to find a different place to take residence. Their place of choice was a dilapidated, abandoned barn just outside the city. In its glory days, it would have been quite a sight, and would have most likely been some form of an equestrian stable, but was now abandoned. Caius had told me that it hadn't been occupied since World War II when the Allies invaded Italy. It was just far enough away from civilization that no one would notice they had taken up residence there. Apparently, most of the pack had planned to head back to the U.S. while Jacob and a few others would remain in Italy, and be… an uneasy ally of the Volturi.

Jacob was the alpha of remaining pack, and Bree was his… mate… of sorts. Leah was his beta and her brother, Seth, was the third-in-command. There were a few other werewolves who had stayed including Embry and Quil, and some others I didn't recognize. The rest had gone back to La Push by the time I got there.

It was around noon when I arrived, and Seth and Embry were outside playing catch with a football. Demetri, my driver for the afternoon, exited the limousine and opened my door for me. I got out nervously and told him never to do that for me again. The rest of the pack came out of the barn and watched as Demetri got back in the car. I walked toward them hesitantly, pulling my shawl tighter around me. Due to the sun and the possibility of humans stumbling across us, Caius had made sure that I wouldn't be noticed by assigning Alice to dress me that morning. I was in a pair of red skinny jeans with black converse, and I had a yellow t-shirt on with a white sweater over it. A bright, flowery, yellow shawl was wrapped around my head keeping the sunlight from shining directly on my face, and my red eyes were hidden by sunglasses. I think it took a few seconds for the werewolves, and for Bree to recognize me.

"Isabella!" Bree cried rushing toward me. The rambunctious girl barreled into me and knocked me over onto the dry ground. Upon our impact, a dust cloud swirled up around us, limiting visibility. We were both giggling as she helped me stand back up. "I'm sorry," she apologized softly. "I'm just so excited to see you! I've been waiting for you to come visit."

I smiled. "That's okay," I told her, ruffling her hair slightly.

Jacob walked over to us and gave me a crooked smile. "Well, you look… sun-proofed. Does Blondie have sunblock on you too? SPF 50?"

Rolling my eyes, I wrapped an arm around Bree's shoulders. "If you had any sense, you'd keep this girl under better surveillance," I told him. Bree was quite literally shining like a disco ball under the blinding, Italian sun. "If some human sees here, you're either going to have to kill it to protect her, or—"

"Jesus, Bells," Jacob exclaimed, tugging Bree away from me. "Blondie is really rubbing off on you! You sound like a regular Jehovah's Witness."

"Ha, ha, very funny Jacob," I sneered. "Besides, I'm here to talk to Bree, not you, mongrel." There was an edge to my voice, but I didn't care.

Bree looked up at me curiously. "Oh, well what do you wanna talk about, Isabella?" she asked innocently.

"Well, Caius and I are getting married," I began, only to be cut off by Jacob.

"We know. We got the invitation."

"And," I continued as if he hadn't spoken. "I've been planning who I want to have in my wedding, and I was wondering if you would like to be a bride's maid."

Bree's eyes lit up. "Really?! Oh, absolutely! I'd love to!" she cried, jumping up in enthusiasm.

I chuckled at her reaction and gave her a reassuring hug. "That's great," I voiced to her. "You'll have to come by the castle one of these days and get your measurements taken for the dress."

She nodded eagerly. "I will! Don't worry!"

Smiling, I bid them farewell before going back to the limo. Demetri started off back toward Volterra and remained silent, leaving me to my thoughts. I ran a hand through my hair, feeling somewhat relaxed. Things were going good… for once. I just hoped that they would stay this way. _Maybe once the wedding is over, we won't have to worry about anything anymore,_ I thought longingly. _Maybe forever will finally be able to begin._

* * *

A/N: I know... I know... Just... bare with me, okay?

If you liked this chapter, leave a review and let me know. If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	30. Chapter 29: Fairytales

_Salvation - Chapter 29_

This chapter is gonna feel a bit rushed because it probably is. I kind of had to tie the majority of it up in this chapter.

**Chapter 30 is written in 3rd person point of view. Sorry for any inconveniences.**

**I will post an update here when the sequel to this story, Emancipation, is posted. All you need to to do is click on my username and it will take you to my page. Simply scroll down, and you will find it, but it won't be up until after I post the Author's Note saying that it has been posted. **

I do not own Twilight.

* * *

**29. Fairytales**

Everything was falling into place. Everything was going right. Everyone was happy. Things were finally coming to an end, or was this the beginning? No one seemed to argue anymore in the castle—everyone was too busy with the wedding to be worrying about anything else. Even Aro and Marcus who normally subtracted themselves from Caius's and my romantic affairs were beginning to take initiative as far as the wedding was going. Aro, Caius, and Marcus personally filled out all the invitations to all the most important vampire covens on the globe, and Aro was even caught helping Sulpicia hem a dress.

Aro had planned a massive ball a week before the wedding and guests were already arriving for it. The ball was only two days away, and Alice had already ordered what I would be wearing. Alice was also my official, self-appointed fashion assistant. She quite literally planned what I would wear every day so I looked like a "classy, sophisticated woman". Caius couldn't have been happier with this arrangement since it guaranteed him to see me in beautiful, old-fashioned dresses that required me to wear corsets and all other kinds of fun girl stuff. He might like the looks of it, but I warned him that he would have a more difficult time getting it all off me. He, of course, had a solution for this and simply ripped the garments from my body in a matter of seconds.

All kinds of vampires came to the palace, many of whom I had never met. They all looked different, all had different skin tones, different hair colors and styles, spoke different languages, and came from different regions of the world. Caius introduced me to as many of them as he could, but I could barely keep track of them. My vampire mind did give me somewhat of an advantage, but, at the same time, there were just too many to remember. The Denali had returned for the ceremony, as well as the rest of the pack that had gone back to La Push. The few of the new faces that I were able to remember were the Irish coven led by a large, intimidating woman named Siobhan; and the Egyptian coven.

I was shocked when Caius introduced them to me. After all he had told me, I assumed that the Egyptian coven hated the Volturi and vice versa, but Aro and their leader, Amun, shook hands like they were old friends. Of course, Aro was quite the actor and could convince anyone that he was happy to see them again, but I had no idea what this Amun fellow was like. He came with a beautiful woman with long black hair and olive-toned skin. She stood behind Amun and he barked orders at her like she was a Golden retriever. Also like a dog, she obeyed him without question and did so in absolute silence; the only sound she made was the soft, almost undetectable sounds her sandals made on the tile floor when she walked. Caius told me her name was Kebi and she the only one of Amun's wives they had left alive.

"Why did Aro invite them?" I whispered in his ear. We were in the throne room. Guests were being let in through the two, massive doors on the eastern end of the room. Nomads and covens were being greeted and introduced to the "lucky couple", AKA Caius and I. Caius sat in his throne chair and I was sitting in his laps with my arms around his neck and his around my waist. I was in a blue dress with puffy sleeves. The blue part split just below my waist to expose a cream-colored fabric, and I had nude shoes to match. This was all Alice's doing of course.

Caius pulled me closer slightly. "He wants us to be on friendly terms with them is all," he replied before kissing my ear gently.

I leaned into him and rested my head on his as a nomad was brought in. "How can you be on friendly terms with a coven you practically destroyed?" I inquired, clearly uninterested with the matter at hand.

My mate outwardly portrayed my boredom. "I know it seems insane, and don't get me wrong, it is, but Aro is just trying to be civil. He hopes that by extending this invitation to them that they'll give us another decade of peace."

Shivering slightly, I let out an uneasy breath. "Do you really think they'll come for us?"

"If they have any brains in their heads, they won't. No one can defeat the Volturi! We've proven that countless times over. We have the widest range of talent imaginable! And, if the Cullens stay with us, there will be no one stopping us. With Alice's visions, we'll be able to anticipate the enemies' moves, and now we have the wolf pack on our side as well—they'll never see that one coming!" he whispered. He was clearly getting himself worked up over this and exciting himself to the point of jittering with anticipation. He was like a little kid on his way to Disneyland.

A nomad strutted into the room and walked up to the throne. Aro stood and shook the nomad's hand; his name was Garrett. I paid little attention to the introduction, my mind swarming with thoughts of the Egyptian coven. "Do you think Aro's strategies will work?" I queried after a minute. "With the Egyptian cove, I mean. Do you think that his amiabilities will dissuade them?"

Caius shrugged furtively. "I think so," he whispered back. He let out a tired sigh and leaned back in his seat. "I never thought I'd say this, but I hope that we can finally have peace. I want a break from war, or at least a break from worrying about it. I want to get married to the most beautiful woman in the world and go on a decade-long honeymoon to some deserted, tropical island and—"

"Dammit, Caius," Aro hissed as the nomad exited the room. Aro was stalking back to his throne now, his hands clenched into fists. "You're getting louder and louder over there, brother! Can you keep your fantasizing to yourself, please? There are very important people here and the last thing they want to hear is you talking about your sexual exploits! You need to be on your best behavior, Caius."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course, father. Forgive me, please, for I have sinned," I muttered lazily.

Aro plopped down and gripped the arms of his throne tightly. The wood groaned under his intense grip. "Just keep your mouth shut, and you're you-know-what in your pants, got it?"

"Sure thing," Caius muttered in response.

After being silenced, we had little to do apart from actually paying attention to the matter at hand. Caius stubbornly remained aloof while I surrendered; I began listening to Aro's introductions. The only thing that did catch my mate's attention was the entrance of the Russian coven.

The Russians came in unannounced and strutted arrogantly up to the throne. The coven was composed of five members—two women, three men—and they were all dressed the way you would think Eskimos dressed like. They wore fur, kind of like the early humans you see in movies and documentaries, and other skins; the women wore fur dresses that were messily knit together with what looked like horse hair. The women were exotic, to put it nicely. They had long, black hair that fell to their waist; they weren't fat, but they were tall and robust. The men were just as broad-shouldered and sturdy with dark, curly hair, and long, tangled beards that came halfway down their chests. All of their eyes were black with thirst, and their eyes were beady and looked untrustworthy like a weasel's eyes.

"Aro," the lone man greeted our brother. He stepped forward while the other two men remained behind him, the women standing at her sides, but they weren't clinging. They didn't appear to be close together like mates normally were—neither of the men were touching them, and the women stood on their own confident, and almost defiant.

"Igor," Aro returned the greeting. He didn't rise from his throne to shake hands with this man, instead, he remained oddly detached from the greeting. "Your arrival is… unexpected."

The man named Igor nodded brusquely. "I believe that your invitation got lost in the mail," he said, looking over the three leaders with an heir of superiority. "I heard about the wedding of Master Caius from a friend."

Caius snarled and wrapped his arms around me tightly. "You weren't invited," he told him simply. "The last thing this castle needs is you and your gang of ruffians ruining the ceremony!"

"Well it's not as if this is the first time you have taken a wife, Caius," one of the other men said with a snobbish smirk on his face. "Tell us, what happened to your previous wife, the darling Athenodora."

Hearing that name again sent shivers up my spine. I will never forget that night that I woke in the clearing and she started breaking my bones wearing that evil, psychotic smile. How could anyone refer to that monster as a darling? "She was killed," I answered for my mate. "She was charged for treason against the Volturi and for the attempted murder of Master Caius… You will call him that by the way," I added after a moment. "He is a leader of the Volturi and deserves to be treated with respect—all three of these men do. And if you are uncivilized to the point of not knowing manners, that you can turn around and walk right out that door! This castle is a place for cultivated people who know where they stand, and you clearly don't. You arrive here, uninvited, come in without announcement and expect to be welcomed with open arms? Are you truly that foolish? Then you disrespect the leaders of the most powerful coven on this earth? Ha! Go back to where you came from, you brutes. You are not welcome here."

Caius and his brothers sat in astonishment as I addressed the Russians without a trace of fear. Why should I be afraid? I was a good fighter, my mate was an even better fighter, and I had a whole guard to protect me. Plus, I was the one in the right here—they showed up without an invitation. Even the Russians seemed shocked that I had spoken to them.

Finally, Igor seemed to snap out of his daze and let out a low growl. "Why you insolent, little—" he began stalking toward us just as Felix and Demetri darted out from the shadows and seized him on the arm.

"Your woman is brave, Caius," the other man who had not spoken before commented. "She also seems to have your… tenacity."

"Take them out of here!" Aro hissed to the guards. Felix and Demetri did as they were told and escorted the Russians out of the throne room.

"They'll be back," Marcus commented from his throne. "They'll want some form of revenge."

"They always do," Aro agreed.

I looked down, feeling bad now. "I'm sorry… I wasn't really thinking."

All three of them looked at me and began shaking their heads in reassurance. "No, no, my dear," Marcus said as Aro and Caius began to quiet down. "Do not put yourself down."

Caius nodded. "The Russian coven has hated us for ages. They just like to get on their nerves as all. If you hadn't chased them out so quickly, Aro or I would have done it eventually."

"Yes," Aro approved with a nod. "They would find some complaint about us eventually. At least you gave them something to _really_ talk about! Just wait until the world hears about Caius's fierce mate who chased out the Russian coven! No one will dare cross our paths."

Smiling weakly, I rested against Caius's chest as Heidi came into the room. "That was all there was today," she relayed to us. "I suspect that the rest will be arriving tomorrow."

We all sighed in relief, clearly glad to have the rest of the day to ourselves.

* * *

Around 4:00 PM, all vampires minus the Cullens and the Denalis gathered in the throne room as Heidi brought in dinner. The poor woman had been working overtime to trick enough humans into waltzing right into the trap we had set up. To make sure that everyone got one human, I offered to go without, but Caius dismissed the idea immediately.

After dinner, the majority retired to their chambers. Marcus drifted lazily off towards the library while Aro and Sulpicia locked themselves in their room for the night. Caius suggested that we did the same, but I shook my head. "I think that we should… stop for a while," I confessed, avoiding his gaze. We were walking down a corridor toward our bedroom, and I could feel Caius tense beside me.

He looked at me, arching an eyebrow. "And why do you think that?" His voice sounded calm, but I knew him well enough to know that he loathed the idea with passion.

I shrugged weakly. It wasn't necessary, but it was something that I thought was a good idea. Before I let the idea of being with Caius in our tower change my mind, I answered him. "It's traditional, isn't it? You said you wanted a decade-long honeymoon of nothing but you and me alone on an island with no clothes on. Why shouldn't we abstain for a week when we have a decade to make up for lost time?"

He pondered this for a moment, his jaw set. He stopped in the hallway and stroked his chin for a moment before turning to me. "Very well," he said at last. "But, if you break before our wedding night, I'll have to punish you," he warned with that diabolical smirk of his.

I smiled widely and moved a little closer to him. "Is that really such a bad thing?"

Chuckling, he pushed me up against the cold, stone wall. His hands rested on my waist and his face was inches from mine. "That depends. Do you like it when I punish you, Isabella?"

My breathing was unnaturally loud now. His hot breath was hitting my face in short bursts, causing my hair to billow away from my face. "Oh yes, Master," I breathed as his hand slid lower. It paused at my buttocks before moving lower to my thigh. He hitched them both around his waist and moved in to kiss me…

"Master Caius!" a voice called from further down the passageway.

Caius let out a frustrated growl and untangled himself from me just as Alec appeared. He bowed to us gratefully before looking at me. "What is it Alec?" Caius growled, pulling the boy's attention away from me and my mussed hair and ruffled dress.

"Jane, Alice, and Heidi have been looking for Mistress Isabella," he explained. "They have sent me to find her."

"Wouldn't Demetri be a better choice?" I asked teasingly.

Alec cracked a smile. "They were going to ask Demetri but apparently he and Felix are having some ardent fun with the Denali sisters, so I'm the third best choice."

My mate made a disgusted sound. "Don't those boys have any shame?" he asked half to himself. "Associating and flirting with those vegetarians! Ptah!"

Alec blinked once. "And don't forget they're fucking them too, Master," he added.

I burst out laughing, earning some bewildered glances from Alec and Caius. Hearing Alec swear was just downright hilarious for some reason. Before Caius could get around to questioning my strange outburst, I ushered Alec away imploring him to take me to the girls.

* * *

Alec led me to the guest wing of the castle, and as we walked down the broad hall, I could hear the chattering of the women coming from up ahead. Taking a deep breath, I braced myself to face the unknown.

My guide paused at the door that contained the ruckus and looked up at me sympathetically. "Good luck, Mistress," he breathed. "You'll need it." I nodded to him in thanks, and he opened the door.

What greeted me inside nearly sent me into cardiac arrest. Ribbons were draped all over the place and over everything that could hold them. Flowers were scattered about; some were in pots, some were made into bouquets, and some lonely florae were strewn about the room being trampled underfoot. The three girls were all clothed in dark crimson dressed that I assumed were for the wedding, and on the bed was my worst nightmare. A large, poofy, white, dress that looked like it belonged in the Disney movie _Cinderella_ was waiting for me. I instantly recoiled from it. It literally looked like it belonged in a fairytale; it was strapless and tight and form-fitting on the top, but flared out at the bottom having a long, feathery appearance. Even though the fabric was solid, a lace design was placed over top of the rest of the dress all the way down to the waist. Beside it lay a long, elaborate veil that had to be at least twenty feet.

If were human, I probably would have passed out.

"Well?" Alice squealed, seeing that I was staring at the dress. She yanked me inside the room and gestured to my wedding dress, a smile plastered on her face. "What do you think?"

Speech would not come. My mind was still trying to process everything that was going on.

"This is what you'll be wearing for the wedding obviously. The dress that you'll be wearing to the ball tomorrow night is already in your room. I think you'll like; the shoes area in there too as well as the necklace, earrings, and bracelets."

I longed to scream at her and tell her that everything was too extravagant and expensive, but all I could manage was: "Bracelets?"

"Caius bought you some jewelry to not only wear to the ball, but to the wedding too," Heidi explained.

"Oh…" I breathed, still feeling rather light-headed.

"Oh, and come look at your shoes!" Jane cried, pulling me over to one side of the bed. She opened up a shoe box to expose these open-toed, white stilettoes. On the toe was a pretty crimson rose that would be visible even if my dress did cover them the majority of the time.

"Red?" I breathed, still in shock.

"Well we decided to go with a red-and-white theme. I think that it represents you in a lot of ways. You know—red, human flesh and then the white, porcelain, flawless vampire skin; white skin, red eyes—we just thought it would fit your transition," Alice said, busying herself with arranging another bouquet with some of the discarded flowers.

"Oh…" I whispered.

"We just need to make sure that the dress fits you," Jane said, tugging me to the foot of the bed once more.

"Right now?" I half-groaned.

All three of them nodded. "Fine," I grumbled resignedly.

They were just beginning to help me undress when a knock sounded on the door. Alice darted over to answer it, and a familiar scent flowed over me. "Caius!" I gasped, turning around.

My master had come to my rescue. "I hate to interrupt, but I require Isabella's presence in my quarters," he said with a smirk, looking at me rather than Alice.

Alice put her hand on his chest and shoved him backwards. "Ah-ah-ah!" she snapped. "Not yet! Isabella needs to try on her wedding dress, and you can't see it yet!"

"Can't we try it on tomorrow?" I asked, struggling against Heidi's grip to get to Caius.

"No," Alice replied sternly. "Now you wait outside, Caius!" she hissed before slamming the door in his face.

Caius began to shout profanities at the ladies that kept me incarcerated in the room while they set to work getting me into my dress. The process was shorter than I had imagined and I was out within a couple minutes to my great pleasure. Caius and I returned to our room and struggled to keep ourselves from passionately attacking the other with our sexual urges.

The night ticked on slowly and dawn couldn't come soon enough. When it finally did break, we let out a sigh of relief; we had survived the first night without either of us breaking. Now there were only six more to go! Since the ball was that evening, Caius and I made sure that we had all the necessary clothing items laid out before returning to the throne room to continue greeting guests.

Not many arrived that day and we had finished by two o'clock leaving us all plenty of time to prepare for the ball. Many of the vampires set to work setting up the throne room for the dance so it would be ready; it didn't officially start until 8:00 PM. Caius and I returned to our bedroom and I retreated to the bathroom to get ready.

The dress that Alice had picked out for me was a dark, emerald green with cream designs. Just like the red one she had picked out for me to kill Rosalie in, it had a cream-colored part in the center that started at the waist and went down along the skirt before flaring out at the bottom. There was a cream flower on the bodice. It had emerald, poofy sleeves that came down to the elbow, and it was decorated with cream designs as well.

It was difficult to get into, but I eventually figured it out. Caius was in a simple tuxedo with a black bowtie match. When we were both ready, my mate accompanied me down to the throne room just as the ball began.

The throne room was adorned with lavish decorations; ribbons were hung around the walls and the ceiling, flowers were on every pedestal, and there were long tables set on the north and south sides of the hall with cups of blood on the table as if it were a punch bowl. Vampires were all over the room; some were standing and talking with old friends while others graced the dance floor holding onto one another and spinning around in intricate movements. Caius had to go sit in his throne for traditional reasons and Sulpicia and I stood behind our mates, holding our heads high and looking over the scene with detached approval.

The Cullens and Denalis politely refrained from drinking the blood offered and the Cullens eventually wandered over to greet us. They participated in the social niceties the event required before talking to us more casually. After a while, they requested to steal me from Caius for a bit to catch up before the wedding. Caius detested the idea, but reluctantly agreed.

We wandered around the dance floor for a while before Carlisle and Esme deserted us to dance on their own, and soon, Alice and Jasper joined them. Emmett and I stood along by the tables covered with cups of blood, waiting for them to finish dancing.

"Isabella?" a strange, unfamiliar voice asked to my left.

I turned to face a man with short, black hair and olive skin. He had a short beard that framed his face and dark red eyes. I knew he was before he spoke.

"I'm Amun from the Egyptian coven," he said. "I hate seeing a beautiful young woman standing all by herself."

"She's not all by herself," Emmett half-growled defensively.

"No, she's not," Caius's voice suddenly spoke. My mate darted to my side and shot Amun a fearsome glare.

Amun took a step back, holding his hands up in a submissive, yet defensive way. "I was only asking the lovely lady to dance. That's no reason to start a war, Caius."

Caius growled—it was a low, guttural sound that frightened me. It meant that he meant business and was not to be messed with. "Just keep away from my mate," he hissed before pulling me away from the Egyptian vampire.

Besides that eventful few moments, the rest of the ball went on without a hitch. The next week flew by until it the day finally came: my wedding day.

* * *

A/N: I know this chapter is... meh. I'm sorry. Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and tell me. Remember, if you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more.


	31. Chapter 30: The Beginning

_Salvation - Chapter 30_

OH MY GOSH, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?! IT'S THE LAST CHAPTER!

Well almost.

This chapter is written from 3rd person point of view, which you'll know if you read the author's notes I post at the beginning of the chapters. Before we go on, there are a few things I need to address:

1.) I know that Bree has... disappeared, but she will play a big part in the sequel, _Emancipation_, and she will even get a point of view in it.

2.) Emancipation will consist of 3 books, like _Breaking Dawn._ Also like _Breaking Dawn_, Bella will be the storyteller in Book 1 and Book 3. Book 2 will be from Bree's point of view.

3.) The Russians were NOT thrown into the next chapter just to be thrown in, they will play a part in the sequel.

4.) The epilogue is currently being written. It will be up at the end of tomorrow at the latest if everything goes well.

5.) Wow, this is a long list. **After the epilogue is posted, I will have to write the first chapter of _Emancipation_. WHEN I AM DONE WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER, I WILL POST THE SEQUEL! WHEN I POST THE SEQUEL, I WILL WRITE AN AUTHOR'S NOTE AND SUBMIT IT ON THIS STORY.** **In that note, I will tell you how to get to it. All you need to do is click on my username and scroll down to the stories. You should find it there when it's posted. Please check out the sequel once it's posted, I can't implore you all enough. Thank you.**

I do not own Twilight.

* * *

**30. The Beginning**

Isabella Swan nervously rushed down the corridor toward the guest wing of the Volturi castle. She could hear her bridesmaids rushing about in her best friend's room. When she arrived at the door, Alice Cullen opened the door and pulled her inside swiftly. The small, pixie-like vampire gave her an annoyed look as she shoved Isabella toward the grand bed that was the centerpiece of the room. "Where the hell have you been?!" she hissed. "We've been waiting for you! The bride is kind of important when it comes to a wedding!"

The bride shrugged her shoulders weakly as the beautiful Heidi, small Jane, and the fragile-looking Bree scurried about trying to get her ready. As Heidi raked a comb through her unruly hair, Isabella's thoughts drifted back to the night before. For tradition's sake, she had been forced to spend the night without her groom, and she was now on the verge of panicking. She hated being apart from him, and on such a stressful day, she needed his love and support; she needed him to be a strong, immobile rock standing beside her and allowing her to lean on him for support. However, she had no choice but to sit there and let the girls work on her.

Makeup was not necessary—her skin was flawless—so all they had to do was do her hair, and put her in the dress. They were able to pull her hair up in a bun so they could fix the veil to it, but waited until they had safely secured the dress onto her slim body.

Meanwhile, Caius was in Aro's quarters struggling to remain patient as Sulpicia fixed his bowtie. His jaw was locked and his posture stiff. He was wound up tight like a clockwork toy. "Relax, Caius," Aro chastised. "This isn't the first time you've been married."

Caius rolled his eyes at his brother's remark. "Yeah, but you know that she's the only one I care about."

Aro nodded. "I know, but you still know how this whole thing works. You know what will happen. This isn't anything new to you."

"Besides, Isabella will look beautiful," Sulpicia added with a reassuring smile.

Caius smiled weakly. "I don't doubt that."

Aro and Marcus escorted Caius to the throne room that was set up to resemble a chapel, but on a much larger scale. Pews had been brought in and were set up in the center of the room. Between the two sections, a large, red carpet was laid out. Caius soon determined that the colors of the ceremony where red and white. _A fitting choice,_ he thought approvingly. He could picture Alice setting this whole thing up in the crafty way she normally did things.

Many of the guests had already arrived and were seated in the pews. Esme, Emmett, and Jasper Cullen were seated in the first row to Caius's left, and the majority of the Volturi were in the first row on the right. The other vampires that had been invited took up the rows further away from the makeshift altar. Caius could make out Amun's dark hair and olive skin in the crowd. A growl rose in his throat before he suppressed it. Aro, having been close enough to his hear his brother's small display of anger, took his hand. In an instant, all of Caius's thoughts and all of his misgivings became his.

Aro shook his head. "Do not worry about that Egyptian slime," Aro muttered at a volume only the three brothers could hear. "They will not ruin this day."

"Not this day," Marcus agreed. He opened his mouth to say more, but closed it after a moment's hesitation.

Caius knew what Marcus was going to say. _Not this day, but sometime in the future perhaps._ Caius wondered with fear if the forever he had promised Isabella would truly be eternity.

Back in Alice Cullen's room, the bridal party was finally ready to make their way down to the throne room. Carlisle Cullen—Isabella's "father" for all intents and purposes—had just arrived. He smiled at Isabella in the warm, welcoming way he always does. "You look stunning, Bella," he commented.

Isabella smiled weakly and looked down sheepishly. "Thanks," she whispered before taking his arm. The company proceeded down the spiral staircase and took an alternate route to the lobby, avoiding the throne room entirely. As they waited outside the two, massive oaken doors, Isabella could hear the voices inside talking in hushed murmurs. She could smell the distinctive scent of roses and could faintly pick out the familiar, comforting aroma of her fiancé's cologne. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been keeping and looked to Carlisle nervously.

Caius stood at the improvised altar, looking out at the crowd. He could smell Isabella's delicious scent and hear the voices of Alice, Jane and Bree as they spoke to Isabella in soft voices. He could barely make out what they were saying, he could only hope that they weren't trying to persuade her to go through with it. _Don't let her have cold feet… please…_ he pleaded silently.

Marcus, who had stood in for the priest, rested his hand on Caius's shoulder in encouragement as the two double doors swung open.

Isabella gripped Carlisle's arm tightly as the two doors opened before her. All the people in the room stood to welcome her; she wanted to cower away from them. The trepidation she had felt as human had seemed to have returned to her in her nervousness. Carlisle gently pulled her forward, and for a moment, she had forgotten how to walk. She blanked her mind of everything but walking—_right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot._

Caius finally laid eyes on his bride and struggled to keep his mouth from dropping open. His darling Isabella was always stunningly beautiful, but seeing her in all white and walking down the aisle toward him feel as if his silent heart was pounding. He noticed a crimson rose on each of her shoes that poked out from the skirt of her dress when she walked. Her veil, and the train of her dress trailed behind her as she walked toward him steadily. Her face betrayed her worry, but there was a sort of determination on it as well—she wasn't backing out. He was relieved.

Isabella tried to ignore that everyone was looking at her. She felt as if she were a plump, meaty cow being sold at an auction full of starving people. She focused only on Caius—on his perfect, inviting face, and his gorgeous blond hair, and the way his suit clung loosely to his slender figure. All around the room, the decorations were a crimson color—everything but her dress, Caius's suit, and the clothes of the vampires in attendance was dark red. Her white dress contrasted the red perfectly, and Caius's black suit stood out against it. Alice's theme—though Isabella had been dubious of it at first—seemed to match everything perfectly.

When Isabella finally reached the throne, Carlisle retreated to his seat next to Esme, and Alice, Bree, and Jane moved to stand behind Isabella. The bride focused on her groom, and he did the same to her. Neither one of them paid any attention to the people around them—they could only focus on each other. Marcus began reading the vows, but Isabella and Caius barely heard them. They responded accordingly when it was time, but scarcely noticed what Marcus was saying.

The only words they took interest in were the last words Marcus said: "I now pronounce you husband and wife. Caius Volturi, you may kiss your bride."

Caius didn't need to hear more. Not a second went by before his lips were crushed against hers and his arms were locked around his waist in a passionate embrace. Isabella locked her own arms around his neck, and the assembly clapped, made snide comments, and wolf-whistled at their display, but they hardly cared.

Aro nearly had to tear Caius off of his wife as the congregation began to offer their congratulations to the newlyweds. Isabella and Caius Volturi simply remained aloof in their own little world, gazing into each other's eyes.

After the normal proceedings, Caius carried his wife out to a limousine to carted off to their honeymoon on an island in the Mediterranean, far away from prying eyes. The guests bid them farewell, and as soon as they were out of sight, Isabella snuggled happily into her husband's chest. This was it: all they had fought for had finally been accomplished. This was the end of their struggle to be together, their struggle to love and be accepted for it, but it wasn't truly the end. This was only the beginning; the beginning of their life together, and the beginning of their forever.

"I love you, Caius," Isabella whispered, planting a soft kiss on his neck.

Her husband smirked down at her. "As I love you, Isabella," he breathed. With that, he took her face in his hands and drew her close to him. His lips melted into hers as their forever finally began.

* * *

A/N: Wow... just wow. I can't believe we are almost done with this.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


	32. Epilogue - Sandstorm

_Salvation - Epilogue_

Holy fuck. Can you believe it's over?! I can't!

Well, I have somethings to say about the sequel,

**WHEN I AM DONE WITH THE FIRST CHAPTER, I WILL POST THE SEQUEL! WHEN I POST THE SEQUEL, I WILL WRITE AN AUTHOR'S NOTE AND SUBMIT IT ON THIS STORY.** **In that note, I will tell you how to get to it. All you need to do is click on my username and scroll down to the stories. You should find it there when it's posted. Please check out the sequel once it's posted, I can't implore you all enough. Thank you.**

Thank you for all your love and support throughout the writing of this story. I really don't deserve you guys. I really don't. I thank you so much, and I love you all so much! You guys are awesome. :)

I don't own Twilight.

* * *

**Epilogue – Sandstorm**

The sky over an Egyptian palace was full of ominous, ashen clouds. The palace was absolutely stunning with unique, yet traditional designs. Outside, two men stood on guard, both dressed in uniform. Their eyes scanned the sandy dunes that rose up on western horizon, but their eyes were not human eyes; they were the color of crimson. They stood unnaturally immobile as they watched, listened, and smelled for any approaching caravans, or other creatures like themselves.

A figured appeared on the top of one of the dunes, watching the palace. His eyes were the same color as the guards, but there was an urgent, anxious look in his eyes. The two guards had heard and smelled him before they laid eyes on him. His scent did not earn any reaction from them—they were familiar with it. They just remained there like two, silent statues. However, there was discontent in their eyes, though no emotion graced their faces. They could see the storm brewing on the horizon, and longed to be inside the shelter of the palace. Of course, the storm would have no real effect on them, but it was a matter of discomfort and want rather than need. Their guest, however, wasted no time in approaching the palace.

The stranger moved with irregular speed. He moved like a bullet from a gun, only faster. He moved from the dune in a blur and reached the door of the palace a moment later. "I'm here to see Amum," the stranger told the guards. He acted as if he was of great importance, but the guards knew better; he was an informant, nothing more, nothing less.

They stepped opened the doors for him, granting him entry to the palace. The stranger strode inside, but at a human speed. Her trudged down the hallway at a brisk pace, paying little mind to the fantastic architecture that existed around him. The hallway was long and had no corridors branching off of it, yet it was not barren. Exotic plants and valuable paintings adorned the walls. Statues were placed at regular intervals, some normal porcelain statues, while others were suits of ancient Egyptian armor.

This hallway was perpendicular to another that met at the end. From the ceiling hung two banners, one being the Egyptian flag, and the other being a flag with the crest of the coven that dwelt here. The stranger turned to the left without a second thought and picked up the pace, moving in a blur to the end of the hall he currently traversed.

At the end of the corridor was a medium-sized, circular room. There were a few couch-like structures in the center, and each were occupied by women. There were between three and five on each of the couches, all dressed in old-fashioned, traditional Egyptian clothes. The stranger stared at them in surprise. The number of women in the palace at nearly tripled.

"I see you are admiring my wives," a familiar, smooth voice sounded.

The stranger turned to see the man he had come to see. The man was relatively short with short black hair and a beard that was trimmed short to frame his face. His blood-red eyes gazed at the stranger with an intensity that made him squirm with unease. He had dealt with the Volturi in the past, and their gazes just made him feel fear, but when he was face to face with Amun, the leader of the Egyptian coven, a new kind of fear came over him. You never knew if you were safe with him or not, while with the Volturi, they at least obeyed their own laws. Amun was bound to no such code. He killed for the pleasure of it, and he would kill anyone for any reason.

"Amun," the stranger greeted him with an eloquent bow. "I have news from the north."

"Is that so," Amun more stated than inquired. He brushed past the newcomer and stepped into the small circular room. He went over to sit on one of the couches, and all the women flocked to him. The prettiest sat in his lap and began to comb her fingers through his hair. He then looked at two of the women and said something to them in another language. A few moments later, the two women moved to one of the other couches and began to kiss and touch one another.

The stranger stood stock still, unsure what exactly to do with himself. He decided to go on. "Yes… The Volturi sir… they…"

"Yes?" Amun prompted, seeming to get bored with the whole affair. He began fingering the beautiful woman who sat on his lap, making her moan.

The informant nodded, gulping. "Yes… They are mobilizing for a war. They don't like your army in Greece. Master Caius and his Mistress should be coming back from their honeymoon in the next few weeks. Once he returns, I think they might launch an attack."

Amun nodded absentmindedly, focusing on causing the woman on his lap to have an orgasm. The two women on the couch were now stripping, and passionately kissing one another. The stranger couldn't help but notice the bulge in the Egyptian man's pants as the other women began to move around him, some dancing seductively, some kissing one another, and some just playing with his hair, his shirt, or his trousers. "Then we must attack them before they can attack us. Send word to Igor in Greece that he should attack at the first chance he has," Amun told him dismissively.

The man nodded before swiftly leaving the room leaving Amun to his women.

One of the women who was on her knees before him, undoing his belt, looked up at him. "Are you ready to attack the Volturi?" she queried, unzipping his pants.

Amun nodded. "The Volturi have been in power for too long, Kebi. It's time for a change in government."

Kebi pulled his firm member from his pants and began to stroke it in her hands. "They will not go down without a fight," she pointed out before putting her mouth around the tip.

Her mate groaned and the woman he was pleasuring finally climaxed with a lustful cry. He smiled down at his mate as she proceeded to suck off him. He stroked her hair with the hand that was glistening wet with the other woman's fluids. "Soon, you will all be fucking a king. Soon, the Volturi will be no more. I will have all their heads on display in my castle. I _will_ have my revenge!"

* * *

A/N:

_**PLAYA!**_

lol jk jk. Amun is just a sex addict.

Did you like this chapter? Leave a review and let me know! If you've liked what you've seen here and you wanna see more, click on my username to see more!


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